The work for the implementation of the EU for Inclusive Teaching project continues intensively! After the successful launching event for the project and all the preparatory work since February 2022, now it is time for Open Society Foundation for Albania (OSFA) and the implementing partner of Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK) from Finland, to conclude shaping some of the forthcoming activities for the project. In this framework, on November 1, 2022 the Second Consultation Meeting was organized with the representatives from partner institutions Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) Agency of Quality Assurance in Pre-university Education (AQAPE), and General Directorate for Pre-university Education (GDPE), OSFA and TAMK.

The Consultation Meeting for EU for Inclusive Teaching that took place at the premises of the Ministry of Education and Sports was a great opportunity to keep up with the workplan and discuss the progress of the implementation of the project. Except for being a key activity that brings all parties involved up to speed and a forum for consultations and brainstorming, this meeting was important because we had the chance to introduce the new local experts’ team from the Center for School Leadership (CSL) with the rest of the working group.

Both the Finnish and Albanian experts will be working closely on one of the major objectives of the project, namely to “review and update the professional development curriculum for in-service teachers based on the competency-based curriculum and inclusive teaching in pre-university education”. With a total budget of the project 2.3 million Euro, one of the main goals is to modernize the professional development curriculum for in-service teachers and help in establishing a pool of 320 teacher-trainers who will conduct the ‘cascade’ training for 15,000 of their peers. Both levels of training will provide teachers with the required skills to provide quality and inclusive competence-based teaching.

The Training of Trainers (ToT) cascade program is expected to start in early 2023 with the first two cohorts of teachers that will become trainers by the end of the first phase. The journey of deciding for the new soon-to-be mentors will undergo an open call for applications phase and a selection one based on the criteria set from the experts. But to get there, a complex process must take place first. It consists in re-defining the concepts of competence-based inclusive teaching, reviewing the professional development curriculum for in-service teachers, and designing and updating the professional development curriculum based on competency-based and evidence-based methods of inclusive teaching.

The EU for Inclusive Teaching project is funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by OSFA and TAMK. It is implemented in close partnership with Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) and Agency of Quality Assurance in Pre-university Education (ASCAP), Institute of Blind Students and Institute of Deaf Students, and aims to enhance inclusive quality learning and promote educational attainment in pre-university education for students – with a special focus on children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Are you a teacher in pre-university education or know someone who is? Spread the word, as we prepare to launch very soon an open call for applications to become a Trainer of Trainers!

Furthermore, are you interested in meeting our teams of local and Finnish experts? Stay tuned on our website and social media for upcoming information on the project.