Inclusion and education

CHAPTER
6
Teachers

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KEY MESSAGES
Pre-service teacher education should be based on the inclusive paradigm.
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Teachers should be prepared and supported to recognize student needs, ensure rich learning environments, and 
cooperate with colleagues to provide high-quality education for all.
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Among 14 countries in the region, only about one in two lower secondary school teachers in 2018 felt prepared 
to work in mixed-ability classrooms and one in three in culturally diverse classrooms. In the Czech Republic, the 
respective ratios were 1 in 5 and 1 in 10.
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Some countries have made progress in preparing teachers for inclusion. A master programme on inclusive 
education in Montenegro aims to introduce the inclusion paradigm at university level and within the entire 
education system and to sensitize university staff.
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Some countries continue to follow a medical approach emphasizing differences between learners. In 
Uzbekistan, Tashkent State Pedagogical University offers a course on inclusive education in the defectology 
faculty, a field based on the deficiency model.
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Initial teacher education rarely enables future teachers to gain working experience in inclusive environments. 
The teacher training institute of the University of Miskolc, Hungary, partners with schools and practitioners.
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Competences in inclusion are not always required for teacher licensing and certification. In the Russian 
Federation, as licensing does not require demonstration of practical classroom skills, pedagogical universities 
are under less pressure to have inclusive education courses.
In-service teacher education fills gaps, but not systematically.
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Among 14 countries, the average percentage of lower secondary school teachers expressing high demand 
for training in inclusion-related areas was similar to the EU average. But teachers in Romania expressed 
consistently higher-than-average demand for training.
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An ageing teaching force is a challenge. In Lithuania, 27% of teachers with up to five years of experience, but 
only 17% of those with more than five years, had been trained to teach in a multicultural or multilingual setting.
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Some countries have a structured approach to professional development. Armenia’s model focuses on 
competences for various teaching strategies instead of specific skills for some categories of students.
Teacher diversity is not representative of student diversity.
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Teaching staff diversity reflects an education system’s commitment to values and principles of inclusion. 
Montenegro has no qualified teaching staff capable of teaching in Romani.
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Some countries take steps to ensure diversity. Kazakhstan supports admission to education faculties for 
applicants who are poor, come from rural areas or have a disability.
Support personnel are often lacking, and their roles are not always clearly defined.
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Among 12 education systems with data, there is 1 professional for every 30 or so teachers, on average. Latvia 
and Lithuania have the most (1 per about 12 teachers).
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Specialist support often is not used effectively. In North Macedonia, such personnel do administrative tasks, 
and little of their work time is dedicated to teacher and student support.
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Among 10 education systems with data, there is 1 teaching assistant for every 30 or so teachers, on average. 
The Czech Republic has the highest number (1 for every 9 teachers). In Albania and Serbia the assistant role is 
recognized in legislation and at the policy level.
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Teacher assistant roles are often diluted. In Armenia, assistants have been introduced to help teachers develop 
and follow up on individualized education plans, but only 3 of the 14 responsibilities in their job description refer 
to such support. 
102
GLOBAL EDUCATION MONITORING REPORT 2021

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Teachers are not well prepared to work in inclusive environments .................................103
Inclusion is integrated in initial teacher education in various ways ..........................104
In-service teacher education fills gaps, but not systematically ..................................106
Teachers need support to ensure inclusive teaching ................................................................110
Teachers often lack support from professional staff .........................................................110
The role of teaching assistants remains to be defined ......................................................111
There is room for improvement in support personnel education and training .. 113
Conclusion ..........................................................................................................................................................114
Teachers are key to students’ learning and socialization 
(Hattie, 2003; Rice, 2003; OECD, 2005; UNESCO, 2015). 
Their teaching quality is a result of their initial and 
continuing education, their attitudes and motivation, and 
the support they receive from the school and the system. 
As their role shifts from merely transferring knowledge 
to fostering every child’s potential, they need assistants 
and resources. Various types of support personnel have 
been recruited into mainstream education, although their 
contribution to improving inclusiveness has often been 
insufficient.
Inclusive education requires all teachers to be prepared 
and willing to teach all learners. For teachers to provide 
truly inclusive education, they need to be agents of 
change with values that support high-quality teaching 
for all students (Ackers, 2018; Ainscow, 2005).
Teachers 
generally do not feel their initial education has prepared 
them well to teach all learners (OECD, 2014; 2019).
Approaches to initial teacher education and continuing 
professional development vary greatly, and links 
between both types of training and classroom realities 
are generally lacking. Moreover, the teaching force is 
relatively homogeneous and seldom reflects increased 
classroom diversity. This chapter reviews initial teacher 
education and continuing professional development, 
diversity in recruitment, and the role of support personnel 
in inclusive education.