On June 26, 2018, the APSCF conducted a consultation workshop on the Index Inclusion Guide with specialists of Psycho-pedagogical Assistance Services (SAP) to reflect on the structure of this material, the questionnaires included in it, and the opportunities for their implementation.
The Index of Inclusion, a material written by Tony Booth and Mel Aiscow, is a guide to developing a plan based on a list of indicators that help shape a complete picture of an inclusive environment. This year, the APSCF proposed to develop a Guide to the Index and to provide support in its implementation in the educational institutions in our country.
The workshop was opened by Carolina Buzdugan, Secretary General APSCF, which described the activities of the alliance in education, highlighting the concerns and working direction APSCF secretariat to ensure quality education and inclusive.
Viorica Cojocaru, an inclusive education specialist at CCF Moldova, APSCF consultant and a member of the team of authors who developed the Index of Inclusion Guide, presented the structure of this material and stressed the need to adapt it to the context of the Republic of Moldova. The workshop continued with the presentation of questionnaires aimed at facilitating the evaluation of the degree of inclusion of educational institutions and identifying the issues that need to be improved in order to ensure a safe and inclusive education environment for children. The questionnaires were developed by the authors’ team based on the Inclusion Index and were designed for different categories – children, parents and teachers.
The workshop participants worked in two teams, reflecting on the structure, formulation and usefulness of the questionnaires presented. On the one hand, the participants completed the questionnaires from the perspective of children, parents and teachers, synthesizing these three views in one vision, to present an overview of the school environment. On the other hand, the participants analyzed the opportunities for applying the questionnaires, characterizing the educational institutions in the light of the standards of the Guide and assessing the applicability of the tools presented in the workshop, in order to validate the Index Inclusion Guide.
In conclusion, Viorica Mart, principal consultant of the Direction of General Education within the Ministry of Culture, Education and Research, related the planning and reporting aspects of the Psycho-pedagogical Assistance Services (SAP), appreciating the importance of developing the Guide to the Index of Inclusion and its usefulness in daily work on which is carried out by SAP specialists to ensure the process of continuous improvement of the school institution and its transformation into an environment that meets the needs of all children.
The workshop was organized as part of the project ”The Civil Society Education Fund 2016-2018 in Moldova” funded by the Global Campaign for Education through the Arab Campaign for Education for All.