EiTTT Partners

The EiTTT project group comprises three schools and three teacher education institutions (TEIs) who share a commitment to inclusive education and an understanding of priorities to be addressed if such an educational approach is to become implicit in school practice.

Marino Institute of Education (MIE), Ireland

(Dr Anne Ryan, Overall Project Coordinator)

Marino Institute of Education (MIE) is a Higher Education Institution involved in teaching, learning and research. Located in Dublin, Ireland, it is an Associated College of the University of Dublin, Trinity College (TCD). MIE's mission is focused on promoting 'Inclusion and Excellence in Education'. For over one hundred years MIE has been involved with education, and specifically with initial teacher education. During the last decade the vision and scope of the institute's activities have been re-envisioned and extended to incorporate the full continuum of teacher education (initial, in-service and continuing professional development) as well as the education of specialist practitioners at early years, primary and further education levels. Hence, there are presently in excess of 800 students registered in MIE across the following range of programmes: Bachelor in Education (B.Ed.); Bachelor in Science (B.Sc., Education Studies); Bachelor in Science (B.Sc., Early Childhood Education); Professional Master of Education (Primary Teaching); Master in Education Studies (Intercultural Education); Master in Education Studies (Early Childhood Education); Master of Arts (Christian Leadership in Education); Professional Diploma in Education (Further Education). MIE's academic programmes are validated, quality assured and accredited by TCD.

Inclusive education is a key element of MIE’s undergraduate and post-graduate degree programmes for prospective teachers. All student teachers enrolled in the four-year B.Ed. degree and the two-year Professional Master of Education degree programmes undertake a one-year course in Inclusive Education and a ten day school placement in a special education setting, in addition to a range of mainstream school placements including one in a designated area of educational disadvantage. Components of the Inclusive Education programme incorporate Special Educational Needs (learning difficulties and disabilities), Educational Disadvantage, Intercultural Education and Development Education. Throughout all of their courses and placements students are required to demonstrate their commitment, learning and practical skill development with regard to inclusion.

Contact:

Dr Anne Ryan ([email protected])

Lukkarin koulu

Lukkarin koulu is a mainstream primary school located in the southern part of Finland, 30km north of the capital city, Helsinki. It is a public school with 300 pupils, nineteen teachers and eight special needs assistants. There is a considerable number of pupils in the school with special educational needs and as the school is committed to inclusive education, as far as possible these pupils are enrolled in mainstream classes. There are also five special classes in the school for pupils with particular needs. A new national curriculum has come into effect in Finland in 2016. The practice of inclusive education is a key requirement in this curriculum. It is advantageous therefore that given the high number of pupils with special educational needs in Lukkarin koulu, staff in the school have over many years, put much emphasis on developing effective pedagogical structures and methodologies for addressing the varied strengths and needs of the school population in an inclusive way.

Contact:

Kirsi Lemponen ([email protected])

Karel de Grote University College, Antwerp, Belgium

Karel de Grote University College (KdG) is a large-scale Higher Education Institution in the northern part of Belgium. It has 1,100 staff and 13,500 students. Established in 1994, when thirteen Catholic university colleges in Antwerp merged into Karel de Grote University College, it is now the largest university college in the region. The programmes offered at the university range across the disciplines of Health Care, Business, Industrial Sciences and Technology, Education, Audio-visual and Visual Arts, and Social and Community Work. These programmes comprise forty-nine Bachelor's degrees, five Bachelor (after Bachelor's) degrees, one Master (after Master's) degree, twenty-one Continuing Professional Development courses, ten Postgraduate courses and four Master's degrees. At the faculty of Education there are fifteen professional Bachelor's degree programmes. These comprise degrees in Early Childhood Education, in Pre-primary Education, in Primary Education, and in Secondary Education. In addition, the faculty offers Advanced Bachelor's in Education degrees, with options in Special Educational Needs; in Special Education and Remedial Teaching (Primary Education); and in Special Education and Remedial Teaching (Secondary Education). There is also an International Degree programme and two English Exchange programmes. Other core activities at KdG include scientific research and knowledge circulation incorporating research projects, training, coaching and consultancy.

Contact:

Leen Stoffels ([email protected])

Dimotiko Sxoleio Anthoupolis KA, Nicosia, Cyprus

Dimotiko Sxoleio Anthoupolis KA is a mainstream primary school located in a southern suburb of Nicosia, Cyprus. Anthoupolis is a suburb which was developed to house 'refugees' / displaced people following the Turkish invasion of 1974. Residents in the original refugee site are being gradually re-housed and new social projects are also being developed there to regenerate the area. The Greek name 'Anthoupolis' means 'Flower City', i.e. flowering, expanding city. At present there are 107 students ranging in age from 6 – 9 years enrolled in the school. 82% of the school's students are third generation ‘refugees’, i.e. the grandchildren of people displaced during the political strife of the 1970s. The home backgrounds of these students are deemed to be of low socio-economic / 'disadvantaged' status. Many students are also considered to have 'learning difficulties', and one-fifth of this school’s population is described as having 'special educational needs'. As Europe presently experiences an unprecedented level of inward migration and movement of refugees, our school systems are challenged as never before to put in place supports and strategies that will meet the needs and ultimately maximise the potential of all socio-cultural groups in the school community. The staff of Anthoupolis primary school have had long and successful experience in the provision of such supports and will share their learning with the project team.

Contact:

Chrysoula Miltiadou ([email protected])

University College Leuven-Limburg, Leuven, Belgium

Vzw UC Leuven (formerly KHLeuven) is a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in Flanders, collaborating under the name UC Leuven-Limburg with two other HEIs: Vzw UC Limburg (formerly KHLim) and Vzw UC Leuven Comenius Lerarenopleidingen (formerly Group T). UC Leuven-Limburg is renowned for the high quality of its teaching, research and regional development. More than thirty professional Bachelor and Lifelong Learning programmes are offered in various disciplines, with a focus on Health Care; Social Work; Business and Commerce; Teacher Education; Science and Technology. UC Leuven-Limburg's strong commitment to research ensures state of the art education programmes for its 15,000 students. Priority domains of the institution are: regional development, blended learning (including development of MOOCs), lifelong learning strategies, internationalisation and research. The research policy is practice-oriented and focused on applied research. Central to UC Leuven-Limburg's mission in the field of research is the development of innovative technology for companies, and the transfer of new technology to the market. UC Leuven-Limburg also provides consultancy and continuing education for local industries, organisations and governments.

Contact:

Lijne Vloeberghs ([email protected])

Rigas 45. Vidusskola, Riga, Latvia

Riga 45th Secondary School is a mainstream school providing general secondary education in Riga, Latvia. The school was founded in 1951 and there are presently 685 students enrolled. For many years the school has employed an inclusive approach to education and aims to offer equal opportunities to all students. Hence its population includes students with learning difficulties and assessed 'disabilities', those with social / emotional difficulties, students from various socio-economic strata and the children of immigrants. As a means of enabling all students in the school to participate in, and gain from, the curriculum, the school has developed and implemented a cross-curricular ‘Social Education' programme. This programme focuses particularly on students with social/emotional difficulties manifesting in ‘challenging behaviour’, and aims to see such students included effectively with their peers in mainstream education. Therefore the programme is designed to support all targeted students, their families and as the students are enrolled in mainstream classes on a full-time basis, all teachers in the school. Music education is another key feature of the school programme and is also central to its inclusive agenda.

Contact:

Iveta Liepina ([email protected])