During the 1980s and 1990s, the first models of collaborative learning for students with and without special educational needs were informally developed in Germany, particularly in Federal States such as Hessen, Bremen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, and Baden-Württemberg (Ainscow, 2021). The legal obligation for Germany to establish an "inclusive education system at all levels" has been mandated by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) since 2009 (UN, 2006, Article 24). This convention, aligning with the understanding of disability as a disadvantage faced by marginalised groups, emphasises the consideration of inclusion and exclusion processes in the educational context, recognizing various dimensions of heterogeneity (Ainscow, 2021). In response to these challenges, the Ministry of Education in Baden-Württemberg has adapted its teacher education program to include competencies required for inclusion, integrating inclusive topics into the curriculum (HRK & KMK, 2015). Initiatives like the "Inclusion and Diversity" module, starting in 2018/2019 as part of a joint Master of Education of Albert-Ludwigs University and University of Education Freiburg (Freiburg Advanced Center of Education, FACE), aim to equip pre-service teachers with the necessary skills and knowledge for dealing competently with diversity in their future professional roles. These changes align with recommendations from expert commissions, emphasising the development of essential skills for inclusion in future teachers (Köpfer & Rosen, 2024; Frohn & Moser, 2021; Liebner & Schmaltz, 2021). The paper examines the promotion and understanding of equity, diversity, and inclusion in teacher education policies and programs in Germany, with a specific focus on the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg. Policy texts, including national and regional education acts, curriculum frameworks, and teacher standards, are analysed. The research also extends to the meso-level, exploring teacher education programs of 10 teacher education institutions in Baden-Württemberg that address diversity, equity, and inclusion in response to recent policy developments, supported by two focus group interviews with program directors and pre-service student teachers. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings for the professional development of teacher educators.

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