Social inclusion is more about the process of making all participants able to take part and participate in the society for all individuals, especially those who are disadvantaged or marginalized. It involves ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background, identity or circumstances, has equal opportunities to participate fully in social, economic, political and cultural life. Social inclusion means removing barriers and creating conditions where all people feel valued, respected and able to contribute meaningfully to their communities. But what are social skills and social inclusion?
Social inclusion is a process of removing barriers and ensuring that all individuals - regardless of background or ability - can participate fully, be recognized, and contribute meaningfully within social and educational contexts (Rawal, 2008; Silver, 2015).
In the 2025 Erasmus+ Programme Guide, "social inclusion" is a central priority aimed at ensuring equal access, participation and opportunities for individuals and organisations across the EU. The guide does not provide a formal definition of "social inclusion," it points out the importance of working towards equal opportunities, access, inclusion, diversity and fairness in all work we do as educators and decision makers.
In Erasmus+ program guide 2025 they promote participants to take part in the program that belongs to the category "fewer opportunities". Fewer opportunities refer to different categories that may limit their participation in the program. There are eight categories of fewer opportunities according to the Erasmus+ guidelines:
1. Disability - People with physical, mental, intellectual or sensory disabilities.
2. Health problems - Long-term illnesses, mental health issues or other serious health conditions.
3. Educational difficulties - For example, low educational attainment, learning difficulties or school dropouts.
4. Cultural differences - People from minority groups, refugees, migrants or those facing language barriers.
5. Social barriers - People from disadvantaged social backgrounds such as socioeconomic or unstable family situations.
6. Economic barriers - Low-income participants or those facing financial difficulties that limit their ability to participate in Erasmus+ projects and mobilities.
7. Geographical barriers - People living in rural areas or regions with limited infrastructure and access to education or employment.
8. Discrimination - Individuals at risk of discrimination based on gender, age, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or other factors that can cause discrimination.
Erasmus+ provides additional support and funding to ensure that these groups have the opportunity to participate in the program. Erasmus+ wants all to work towards social inclusion by inclusive environments that promote equity and equal opportunities for all participants. Therefore, we as educators around the EU also need to be aware of who among our talented learners might have fewer opportunities and support them to take part and work inclusively with these learners.
Organisations participating in Erasmus+ are encouraged to design projects and activities that are inclusive and accessible to a diverse range of participants. This involves implementing mechanisms and allocating resources to support inclusivity, ensuring that initiatives are tailored to address the specific needs of underrepresented or disadvantaged groups. The Erasmus+ KA2 project of Educating Talents is in itself a project aiming just for a disadvantaged group, talented learners. They tend to sit idle in class and have already done their tasks, being bored out and eventually maybe drop out of school because the education is not supporting them to develop and learn more. Every learner, meaning also talented learners, has the right to reach their full potential.