Read EAEA’s full statement: More inclusion requires adequate funding and support. Reaction to the Commission Implementing Decision on the framework of inclusion measures of the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps Programmes 2021-2027 (pdf)
The European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA) welcomes the European Commission’s initiative to promote inclusion through its Implementing Decision on the framework of inclusion measures of the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps Programmes.
That said, a truly inclusive programme needs to be reflected in adequate funding and support. EAEA has put forward the following recommendations:
- More funding for learning activities and national agencies: Within the budget framework of individual projects, more resources need to be allocated to allow for the additional support and flexibility of learning programmes for learners with disabilities or fewer opportunities. National agencies also need adequate funding to recruit experts and design national action plans that meet the real needs of learners as well as to actively reach out to organisations that promote the learning of adults with disabilities and fewer opportunities.
- More support for organisations: Staff development, infrastructural support and guidance for organisations and learning providers are needed to ensure high quality projects that meet inclusion standards.
- Easier accessible information: Information on learning opportunities should be provided through national or European catalogues or information websites. These need to be designed according to the criteria of accessibility and barrier-free, i.e., in simple language, easy to navigate and controllable by voice or other input tools.
- Involvement of all relevant stakeholders in the design of inclusion action plans: This is crucial to ensure that the voice of learners with disabilities or fewer opportunities are taken into account.
- Revision of the structural parameters in Erasmus+: The current parameters lead to an institutionalisation of projects and administration, and can only insufficiently include the desired target groups due to the low flexibility in the project structures.