International Summer School: Diversity & Inclusion in Teacher Education

What does diversity and inclusion mean in different countries, and how is it addressed or implemented in schools and in teacher training? That was the question taken up by the International Summer School on Diversity and Inclusion in Teacher Education, held 29 August to 2 September 2022. Through a joint initiative of the Intercultural Education department and the Inclusive Education programme, education researchers from Bremen were able to intensify their existing cooperation with partner universities in Toronto and Manitoba (Canada), Windhoek (Nambia) and Vienna (Austria).

In these countries, schools strive to include students who are diverse in multiple ways – including gender, migration experience, language and ability/disability. In interactive workshops, the 18 teachers and 26 students from the participating countries engaged in lively exchange. One highlight: small groups of participants were able to visit primary and secondary schools in Bremen and get authentic impressions of school situations that raised critical questions and opened up international comparative perspectives. The summer school is the crowning conclusion and high point of the first phase of the Lehramt.International teacher training project, funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The long-term goal is for student teachers to have more opportunities to gain international perspectives during their studies and through school placements abroad, thereby broadening their transnational horizons.