On 26 February, the second #InclusionTalks webinar brought together education partners from across Europe to examine teacher preparedness for inclusive education. Hosted as part of EASNIE’s 30th anniversary activities, the session underlined the organisation’s on-going commitment to supporting countries in building equitable, inclusive learning systems.

Opening the webinar, EASNIE Director Jo?o Costa highlighted EASNIE’s long-standing work with policy-makers and stakeholders across Europe to strengthen inclusive education through evidence, policy tools and practitioner-led insights. Central to this mission is the recognition that all learners are entitled to inclusive, high?quality education, and that teacher preparedness must be understood as a system-level responsibility, not an individual burden.

Two speakers offered complementary perspectives. Ekaterina Efimenko, Coordinator for Democracy, Equality and Environment at the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE), emphasised the realities facing teachers today: increasing diversity, rising workload, digital transformation and growing societal tensions reflected in classrooms. She stressed teachers’ need for adequate teaching resources, time within working hours for training, supportive policies and a shared understanding of inclusion.

Professor Lani Florian, Bell Chair of Education Emerita at the University of Edinburgh, drew on decades of research to challenge traditional thinking in education. She argued for a shift towards inclusive pedagogy, where diversity is viewed as ordinary and an opportunity for teachers rather than a barrier to learning. She highlighted how teacher education should embed inclusive principles across the entire curriculum, rather than as add-on training.

Watch the webinar below, or find out more about the speakers on the Inclusive Education and Teacher Preparedness page.

Upcoming Inclusion Talks sessions will continue to explore key themes in inclusive education including learner’s voices, leadership and artificial intelligence. The next webinar, on financing models, will take place on 26 March. Find out more and register.