Margaret Sutherland

It is essential that we acknowledge and understand our educational past, the successes we need to build on and the mistakes we must learn from. It is equally important that we do not get paralysed by fear of our previous errors or by the immense and ever-changing challenges of the future.  If we are to truly value diversity, we must appreciate its dynamism and intersectionality and we must be agile and progressive in response. In the not too distant past in Scotland, children who were “different” attended special schools and were separated out to be taken by bus to these segregated schools each morning, often while the children in mainstream school looked on. In line with the many international policies calling for inclusive practice, Scotland’s education system has moved beyond this structural system of segregation by ability. We have moved towards a system rooted in children's rights and entitlements and supported by an inclusive legislative framework and key policy drivers. But this journey has not been an easy one and has hit some significant traffic jams along the way.  For example, key to the success of such policies are teachers, and yet many countries in Europe and beyond are facing a recruitment and retention problem which could grind progress towards meaningful inclusion to a halt. With seven years left for the world to meet the global Education 2030 agenda time is running short to reach our destination. This presentation will examine the role of teacher education in the drive for getting a green light for inclusive and equitable quality education for all.