Introduction
This tool has been designed for schools within the fields of school education (SCH) and vocational education and training (VET) seeking to strengthen their inclusive pedagogical practices through Erasmus+ projects. It was created by the SALTO Resource Centre for Inclusion and Diversity in Education and Training (SALTO ID ET), hosted by the Croatian Erasmus+ national agency, AMEUP (Agency for Mobility and EU programmes), in cooperation with CMEPIUS (Centre of the Republic of Slovenia for Mobility and European Educational and Training Programmes), the Slovenian Erasmus+ national agency.
The tool setting is based on the Index for Inclusion: a guide to school development led by inclusive values, written by Tony Booth and Mel Ainscow (2016), which helps schools with inclusive development.
The aim of this tool is to help schools implementing the Erasmus+ programme to:
- identify their inclusive culture and practices;
- recognise challenges and reduce barriers related to achieving inclusion and diversity;
- determine priorities for change and integrate them into their practices;
- enhance the inclusivity of their Erasmus+ projects.
The tool consists of four comprehensive sections. The first section helps organisations reflect on their knowledge of the strategic framework and Erasmus+ programme opportunities related to inclusion and diversity, while the remaining three sections offer a holistic perspective on the inclusivity of their organisation through self-reflective questions:
- How well are you informed about the inclusion and diversity strategic framework and programme support mechanisms?
- Is your Erasmus+ project welcoming?
- Is your Erasmus+ project designed and implemented to support inclusion and diversity?
- Are you an inclusive Erasmus+ coordinator?
0 if the answer is “no, never”;
1 if your answer is “sometimes, partially”;
2 if your answer is “yes, mostly.”
The time required to complete the tool is about 10 minutes.Note: In certain segments of the tool the term »learner« may refer to both pupils and staff. However, when the term »staff« is used independently it is to highlight the importance of their participation in Erasmus+ project activities.