“Diversity and inclusion: challenges for teacher education”

Final conference of the Council of Europe project

“Policies and Practices for Teaching Sociocultural Diversity”

2006 - 2009

 

 

26 – 28 October 2009, Oslo, Norway

The conference is organized by the Council of Europe, in the framework of the project “Policies and practices for teaching socio-cultural diversity” (2006-2009), and in cooperation with the Ministry of Education of Norway and the Oslo University College. The EWC will assist with the logistics.

The conference will bring together invited senior officials from member states governments dealing with issues concerning teacher education policies as well as key players (managers, teacher trainers/educators, researchers) and experts from teacher education institutions and other relevant international Non-Governmental Organizations, by invitation only. It aims to give the participants the opportunity to enlarge their vision of key issues concerning diversity and inclusion in the field of teacher education and identify new perspectives for work at European level.

Within this general context and aim, the conference will provide an evaluative focus on the work and outcomes of the Council of Europe Project “Policies and practices for teaching socio-cultural diversity”. Given the crucial importance of the issue of teacher education in Europe today, as a key factor in ensuring quality education for all, it is important that the strengths and successes of the project are identified and disseminated through exchanges between policymakers, researchers and practitioners from different member states.

A special focus will be given to the conditions of implementation and adaptation to national contexts of the Framework of Competences on Diversity for young teachers developed within the framework of the project. Any less successful aspects of the project also need to be taken into consideration so that future actions and projects are able to benefit from past experience and that scarce resources are used as efficiently as possible.

In addition to reviewing the outcomes of the Project “Policies and practices for teaching socio-cultural diversity”, the conference will also be proactive in identifying a range of future actions that can be initiated and strengthened in the field of teachers education, so contributing to the on-going debates and reforms in teacher education policies.

An additional objective of the conference will be to identify the short-term and long-term implications of the project for the Council of Europe and other key players and promote practical ideas and stimulate further activities in this area.

Further information will be updated soon.