Educational inequalities remain a key challenge across Europe, shaping learning outcomes
and opportunities from an early age, tending to widen over time if unaddressed. By leveraging longitudinal data, STRIDE (Strategies for Achieving Equity and Inclusion in Education, Training and Learning in Democratic Europe) supports school stakeholders with evidence and tools to better navigate and address these inequalities across learners’ trajectories. Key outputs will include an Interactive Map of Educational Inequalities and Policy Reforms, a policy toolbox, and multilingual policy briefs on equity, equality, and inclusion in education and training policies across Europe.

Four recent reports – key takeaways

In the first quarter of 2026, the STRIDE researchers released several key publications:

1) The STRIDE Policy Analysis Report provides an overview of education policies implemented across EU member states, Norway and England over the last 25 years. It examines how educational reforms have been adopted across European countries and the shortcomings of these reforms, categorising them according to the level of education and the sector involved (e.g., early childhood education and care (ECEC), school education, vocational education and training (VET), etc.). A key finding is that collaboration with families and communities reinforces learners’ success, once more showcasing the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration in education and training.

2) The report ‘Mitigating inequality in educational outcomes’ evaluates the impact of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) in five European countries. It demonstrates that although ECEC contributes to reducing educational inequalities, its impact varies widely depending on the context, implementation, and the additional policies associated with it. These case studies underline the importance of targeted support, adequate resources, and inclusive system design, offering valuable lessons for policymakers and practitioners working at both national and European levels.

3) The Systematic Review Report entitled ‘Does early childhood education reduce inequalities in educational outcomes for children facing multiple disadvantages’ synthesises evidence focusing on ECEC interventions targeting children facing multiple disadvantages. A core finding highlights that the implementation of early childhood programmes in disadvantaged communities significantly mitigates educational inequalities.

4) The report ‘Trends in Inequality in Educational Achievement in Europe’ analyses disparities in learning outcomes across intersecting factors, such as socio-economic background, migrant status, and gender, drawing on international large-scale assessment data (TIMSS, PIRLS and PISA). Key findings indicate that socio-economic background remains the strongest predictor of educational performance, underscoring that achieving true equity requires targeted support, inclusive design, and efforts to close participation gaps.

Why This Matters for TVET stakeholders

STRIDE emphasises the importance of sustained, evidence-based measures over one-time initiatives. It provides education and training stakeholders with new knowledge and tools to foster resilient, inclusive learning systems. The project encourages collaboration among practitioners, decision-makers, and stakeholders, while advocating for resources and evaluations of measures aimed at reducing inequalities.

As STRIDE’s tools are developed, VET stakeholders can benchmark local challenges against broader European trends and engage in meaningful dialogue with public authorities to ensure the long-term effectiveness of equity strategies.

About LLLP

The Lifelong Learning Platform (LLLP) is the European civil-society network for education and training, bringing together 40+ EU-level organisations across formal, non-formal and informal learning. As a core STRIDE partner, LLLP ensures that research findings are accessible to policymakers, civil society, and education stakeholders and inform inclusive education and lifelong learning policies.

To learn more, explore the STRIDE website and LinkedIn page.