STRIDE was represented at the 17th European Sociological Association (ESA) Conference, “Strengthening Democracies: Social Action, Solidarity, and Sustainable Futures”, held in Warsaw from 25 to 28 August 2026, by Maria Świątkiewicz-Mośny, Magdalena Ślusarczyk and Dimitris Parsanoglou.
During the conference, Maria Świątkiewicz-Mośny presented on behalf of the team leading the comparative policy analysis of education reforms aimed at advancing equity and inclusion in education and training across European countries.
The presentation, “Reforming for Equity? Universal Measures, Targeted Interventions and Invisible Inequalities in European Education”, was prepared by Maria Świątkiewicz-Mośny, Julia Michcik and Magdalena Ślusarczyk (Jagiellonian University), Simon Nørgaard Iversen (VIA University College), and Rasmus Sommer Hansen (Oslo Metropolitan University).
The presentation focused on STRIDE’s analysis of major education reforms implemented in Europe over the past 25 years to address inequality. The work considers inequalities related to socioeconomic status, cultural capital, gender, ethnicity, place of residence and migration status, with a focus on equity, equality and inclusion in education.
The study reviews 431 education reforms introduced between 1999 and 2024 across 29 countries, including EU Member States, Norway and England. The reforms address inequalities and inclusion by supporting disadvantaged groups and modifying educational structures.
A key focus of the presentation was the distinction between universal measures and targeted interventions. Universal measures include expanding access to early education and reducing indirect educational costs through free textbooks, school meals and transport support. Targeted interventions address the needs of specific groups experiencing educational inequalities and include measures such as language programmes, mentoring, funding formulas and specialised support.
The presentation also highlighted promising directions for education reform, including reducing hidden costs and strengthening inclusive curricula and language support. It also addressed health and wellbeing and LGBTQIA+ issues in relation to invisible inequalities and policy blind spots.
