System wide approach

This is the fourth publication in the Key Principles series. The first report in the Key Principles series (Key Principles in Special Needs Education – Recommendations for Policy-Makers) was based on Agency work published up to 2003.

The SISL Self-Reflection Tool aims to stimulate professional dialogue and collaborative policy development within and across schools and at different policy levels. It is intended for:

• school leaders and leadership teams seeking guidance in adopting and developing inclusive leadership practices;
• policy-makers responsible for developing and implementing policies for inclusive education at national, regional and/or local levels.

Since 1989, the region has been trying to overcome this heavy legacy and shift towards a rights-based approach to education, often with the support of international organizations. Laws and policies have embraced a broader concept of inclusion. Teacher education and professional development programmes are being revised or restructured. Yet progress is uneven. Many changes are happening on paper, while deep-held beliefs and actual practices remain little altered.

The policy framework aims to be applicable to all countries’ contexts. It is open-source, so users can adapt it to their respective contexts. Users may use the policy framework to:

• contribute to and offer a basis for developing new policies aimed at leadership practice;
• support the review and further development of existing policies and policy frameworks;
• spark self-reflection.