During the Forum, which took place in Chisinau on 16-17 November 2017, CRAP representatives and psycho-pedagogical assistance services, teachers and managers of educational institutions, parents, together with representatives of APSCF member organizations, assessed the impact of policies targeting the inclusive education from the teachers’ perspective.
The objectives of this event were: identifying the problems / challenges faced by teachers when developing and promoting inclusive education; identifying the teachers’ needs when guaranteeing access to fair, inclusive and quality education; developing recommendations to address the identified problems and needs; facilitating the partnerships between public institutions and civil society for monitoring child and family rights.
The Forum opened with a debate about the practices and the priorities identified following the implementation of inclusive education in Moldova. Since 2011 – when the implementation of inclusive education in our country started – over 10,000 children with special educational needs begun to learn among the rest of the children. During the official opening, APSCF President Mariana Ianachevici declared that “we want all children, regardless of race, religion or social circumstances, to reach their full potential. This is why the inclusive education has become not only a challenge, but also a practical and real measure to ensure the right of every child to education“.
In the workshops organised in the first day of the Forum, the participants shared good practices in implementing the inclusive education and discussed topics such as: planning in the educational process for children with disabilities, the role of teachers and parents in ensuring the transition of the child with special educational needs from kindergarten to school, community building in the implementation of inclusive education, etc. The first day highlight was the Gala of Inclusive Education and the award ceremony for ‘Alexandra Grajdian” trophy for CURAJ and INNOVATION in the implementation of inclusive education’.
In the second day of the Forum, discussions, debates, and workshops highlighted the role that family has in implementing the inclusive education process, and the importance of continuing to rehabilitate the child with special home-based educational needs. The participants presented in the plenary the workshop totals, namely the achievements, the challenges and the priorities in the implementation of the inclusive education in the preschool, primary and gymnasium cycle.
The Teachers’ Forum was organized by the APSCF in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Republican Center for Psychosocial Assistance, within the project ‘The Civil Society Education Fund 2016-2018 in Moldova’ financed by Global Campaign for Education. Details about the project here.