By ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Germany has committed to supporting equal participation by all people from early education to adult education.

That is why the Federal Ministry of Education and Research contributes to the generation of science-based and practice-related knowledge about inclusive education. The Ministry’s activities include national research funding and individual surveys as well as support at local level.

Inclusive education – a focus of the framework programme

Inclusive education is a focus of the Framework Programme for Empirical Educational Research. Under this programme, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research provides funding for research projects in which researchers develop and test inclusive teaching/learning processes and accessible learning environments in cooperation with, for example, representatives of educational practice and civil society. The projects are based on the learners’ individual living and learning circumstances.

INSIDE longitudinal study on inclusive education at secondary level I

The BMBF-funded longitudinal study “INSIDE” examines the conditions of inclusive learning by school students with and without special educational needs in lower secondary education. Researchers are trying to find out which approaches are successful. Since 2021, the focus of the study has been on inclusion in schools and the transition onwards from secondary level I. The researchers monitor school students, teachers and headteachers as well as parents and learning support assistants during classes 7 to 10 and the transition to secondary level II, vocational training, work or other life situations.

European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education

The BMBF supports the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education (EA) in cooperation with Hesse as representative of the Länder. The Agency is active and provides information and guidance Europe-wide. The aim is to improve the quality of special needs and inclusive education through long-term, broad exchange and cooperation in pilot projects at European level. The knowledge and practical experience gained by the member states serves as a resource for academic exchange, particularly regarding the transfer of models of good educational practice for learners with disabilities. These are to serve as recommendations for action by the various levels of education administration involved.

Inclusive education in local education communities

Under the ESF Plus Bildungskommunen programme, the BMBF supports rural and urban districts in developing their education landscapes. The education communities can select thematic focuses, for example inclusive education. Funding is currently provided to seven German municipalities and rural districts which explicitly focus on inclusive education in their local education settings. The aim of the programme is to introduce lifelong learning environments that link digital and analogue education and to develop data-based education management processes.

Editorial deadline for this text: 01.11.2024