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• Agenda (ENG) (FR)
• Speakers' Bios 
• Link to Synthesis Report
• Forum Proceedings (ENG) (FR)

Background

Phase I of the OECD Strength through Diversity project (“The Integration of Immigrant and Refugee Students in Education and Training Systems”)  focused on migration as a dimension of diversity and examined three areas: i) integration in education, ii) integration for education, and iii) education for social cohesion. Through several analytical reports, policy fora and country spotlight reports, the project has produced a rich evidence base to help education systems address large numbers of new arrivals, put in place or scale up integration policies to support individuals and promote broader social cohesion. This work is captured in the Synthesis Report which will be launched at the forum.

However, migration is only one of the many dimensions of diversity that can affect the well-being of students and require consideration in education systems. Other dimensions relate to ethnic groups and visible minorities; gender; disabilities, learning impairments and mental health; gifted students and more. Phase II of the Strength through Diversity Project (“Education for Inclusive Societies”) will examine these dimensions and the intersections between them to suggest that they can help promote inclusion and equity in education.

Many countries, communities and classrooms experience increasing diversity, often driven by global developments such as climate change and demographic shifts. Failure to understand the policies and practices that can improve educational equity and inclusion not only risk leaving certain individuals behind but also threatens the sustainability, justice and cohesion of our societies. This warrants reflection about the implications diversity has on education systems and conversely, the potential role education systems play in building more sustainable, cohesive and inclusive societies for tomorrow. The different dimensions of diversity, the intersections between them and the impact of diversity on the equity and inclusiveness of education systems will be explored at this forum. 

 

The objectives will be to

• launch the Synthesis report from the First Phase of the Strength through Diversity project titled “The Road to Integration: Education and Migration”;
• examine promising practices and innovative approaches used by countries, regions and schools to ensure that teachers, school leaders and policy-makers are well-equipped to respond to diversity and promote inclusion and equity; and
• facilitate peer-learning between countries in the areas of inclusive and equitable education more widely, and migration; ethnic groups and visible minorities; gender; disabilities, learning impairments and mental health; and giftedness more specifically. 

Presentations

Report Launch

• The Road to Integration: Education and Migration (Francesca Borgonovi, OECD)

Global Refugee Forum

• Global Compact on Refugees. Global Refugee Forum (Ita Sheehy, UNHCR)

Session 1: Inclusive Societies

• OECD Strength through Diversity: Education for Inclusive Societies (Francesca Borgonovi, OECD)
• Education and inclusion (Anna D’Addio, UNESCO/Global Education Monitoring Report)
• Quality education for all: The work of the European Commission on inclusive education and social inclusion (Adrienn Nyircsák, European Commission)

Session 2: Gender and Sexual Orientation

• Challenges and opportunities for enhancing diversity at ESA (Ersilia Vaudo, European Space Agency)
• Evaluating the Impact of School-based Interventions to Reduce LGBT-phobia (Marie-Anne Valfort, OECD)

Workshop: Intersectionality

 

Session 3: Disabilities, learning impairments and mental health

• Disabilities, learning impairments and mental health (Syrine El Abed and Montserrat Macuer, Institut d’Etudes Politiques)
• Country Policy Review and Analysis (Verity Donnelly, European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education)

Session 4: Gifted students

•  Giftedness (Professor Todd Lubart, University of Paris – Descartes)

Session 5: Ethnic groups and visible minorities

• Innovation in Policy and Practice: Student-engaged and Student-led initiatives to Improve Diversity, Inclusion and Equity in Dutch Higher Education  (Marjolijn van der Klis, Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science; Mary Tupan-Wenno, ECHO Expertise Center for Diversity Policy, Netherlands; Khaled Tamimy, Diversity Talks and University of Amsterdam)
• Enhancing the social integration of Roma. Towards an inclusive society (Gabriel Machlica, OECD)