European Trade Union Committee for Education

Education trade unions and employer organisations have an important role to play in promoting the full and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities and special educational needs in education and society. This can be achieved through their own individual organisational structures and processes and through collaborative engagement in social dialogue at all levels of the education system.

These practical guidelines support the development of a common language among social partners on the inclusion of all children, young people and education personnel in education, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities. They enable a systemic approach to advancing their collective strategic policy priorities on inclusive education, and serve as a critical lens through which social partners in education can monitor and evaluate their progress over time.

Inclusion is a process, and changes to institutional and societal norms can take time. Moreover, ETUCE and EFEE member organisations and their education systems are at different stages of their inclusion journey, with some specific challenges relevant to different sectors of education (e.g. earlychildhood education and care, vocational education and training, and higher education and research). However, these guidelines represent an important and necessary first step towards collaborative, coordinated action and form part of broader efforts to promote transformative change through policies of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging in education and society.