EASNIE launched its 30th anniversary #InclusionTalks webinar series on 29 January with an opening session on Inclusive Education: Key Principles. The session brought together leading experts to examine the foundations of inclusive, equitable learning systems and to explore ways to meaningfully embed these principles in practice.
EASNIE Director Jo?o Costa opened the webinar, introducing #InclusionTalks and outlining its core themes, which include teacher preparedness, family and learner participation, artificial intelligence and multiculturalism. He highlighted EASNIE’s mission of supporting inclusive education systems across Europe and the importance of evidence-based policy development.
Mel Ainscow, Emeritus Professor at the University of Manchester, UK, emphasised the need for transformative system reform grounded in clear purpose and robust evidence. He discussed the role of Sustainable Development Goal 4 in shaping global education policy and stressed the importance of addressing contextual barriers within systems rather than attributing challenges to learners or families. Professor Ainscow outlined key strategies for system change, including focusing on all learners’ presence, participation and achievement, and building partnerships between schools and communities.
Dr Gordon Porter, Executive Director of Inclusive Education Canada, focused on the practical realities of supporting teachers to make inclusion work at classroom level. He highlighted the vital role of school-based support teams, collaborative problem-solving approaches, and ensuring that support teachers spend the majority of their time working directly with classroom teachers. He noted that these strategies strengthen teachers’ capacity to effectively meet diverse learner needs.
The final presentation came from Spain’s Director General of Assessment and Territorial Cooperation, Mónica Domínguez García, who offered insights into Spain’s new strategic plan for inclusive education. Developed through a participatory process involving a wide range of stakeholders, the plan outlines ten key objectives for long-term reform across the education system. The Director General also emphasised that inclusive education is not just a future aspiration but a present day responsibility and right.
Watch the webinar below, or find out more about the speakers on the Inclusive Education: Key Principles webpage.
The #InclusionTalks webinars continue throughout 2026, exploring a range of themes related to inclusive education. The next webinar, on teacher preparedness, will take place on 26 February. Find out more about the webinars and speakers and how to register.