Inclusion and education

FIGURE 6.2: 
Teachers in the region are more likely than their EU peers to have received professional development in inclusion-related areas
Percentage of lower secondary school teachers reporting that particular topics were included in their professional development, 2018
0
20
40
60
80
100
%
Approaches to
individualized learning
Teaching students
with special needs
Teaching in multicultural
or multilingual setting
Communicating with people 
from different cultures or countries
Turkey
Georgia
Kazakhstan
Latvia
Russian Fed.
Lithuania
Croatia
Romania Slovenia Estonia
Czech Rep.
Bulgaria Hungary Slovakia
Turkey
Croatia Estonia
Russian Fed.
Slovenia Lithuania
Czech Rep.
Georgia
Latvia
Hungary
Czech Rep.
Slovakia Romania
Kazakhstan
Russian Fed.
Kazakhstan
Georgia Bulgaria
Latvia Turkey Estonia
Romania Croatia Lithuania Slovenia Hungary Slovakia
Czech Rep.
Lithuania
Georgia
Latvia
Kazakhstan
Romania Bulgaria
Russian Fed.
Estonia Turkey Croatia Hungary Slovenia
Czech Rep.
Slovakia
EU 47%
EU 45%
EU 20%
EU 18%
Note: 
Students ‘with special needs’ are defined as those for whom a special learning need has been formally identified because they are mentally, 
physically or emotionally disadvantaged.
Source: 
OECD (2019).
107
C E N T R A L A N D E A S T E R N E U R O P E , C A U C A S U S A N D C E N T R A L A S I A

---

Many countries report an ageing teacher population, 
which may hinder efforts towards preparing the teaching 
force for inclusion. The 2018 TALIS found that more 
than 50% of teachers were over 50 in Bulgaria, Estonia, 
Georgia, Latvia and Lithuania, compared with an average 
of 34% in EU countries. Older teachers are less likely to 
have had inclusion-oriented professional development. 
In Lithuania, 27% of teachers with up to five years of 
experience, but only 17% of those with more than five 
years, had received professional development in teaching 
in a multicultural or multilingual setting. In Bulgaria, 
35% of teachers with up to five years of experience, but 
only 25% of those with more than five years, had received 
professional development in communicating with people 
from different cultures or countries.
Some countries make such training an essential part of 
appraisal, quality assurance or career advancement. In 
Lithuania, mainstream school teachers need to attend 
special pedagogy courses at regional teacher education 
centres, teacher professional development centres or 
higher education institutions to acquire a specialization in 
special education needs. A 40-hour course is required to 
teach students with health issues, movement or posture 
disorders, and behavioural or emotional disorders. A 
60-hour course is needed to teach students with speech, 
hearing, visual, intellectual or developmental impairments, 
as well as those with complex disabilities.
In other countries, professional development is not 
connected to career advancement or other incentives. 
In Estonia, teacher professional development has no 
impact on salaries, roles in school or career advancement. 
Montenegro links teacher career advancement to salary 
increase, but acquisition of skills for inclusion is not