On December 1st was launched the National Conference on Inclusive Education “Implementing Inclusive Education in the Republic of Moldova – A Decade of Challenges and A Vision for New Achievements”, an event focused on the implementation of the Inclusive Education Development Program for 2011-2020.
The event was opened by the Minister of Education, Culture and Research Lilia Pogolșa, the UNICEF Country Representative in Moldova, Ilija Talev, and the President of the Alliance of active NGOs in the field of Child and Family Social Protection (APSCF) Liliana Rotaru.
Minister Lilia Pogolșa stated that the evaluation of the Inclusive Education Development Program for 2011-2020, reaching the end of implementation, shows remarkable improvements in ensuring equal opportunities and access to quality education for every child, young person, adult, at all levels of the educational system.
“The important thing is that the evaluation revealed positive developments among children with SEN, but also their colleagues. The parents’ attitude towards the enrolment of children with SEN in general education schools has improved considerably. Also, the evaluation found positive changes in the attitude towards the inclusion process, both at teachers and school management levels“, said the Minister of Education, Culture and Research.
“This year the conference takes place in the very specific context of a pandemic that has affected all countries and their citizens. This crisis has made us change our way of life in general and the way we provide education in particular. These changes have affected all school-age children, but to a greater extent children with special educational needs”, said Ilija Talev, UNICEF Country Representative in Moldova.
“Civil society, and especially APSCF, has been and will remain an implementing partner in the field of inclusive education, with many member organisations that provide technical, methodological and financial assistance to the authorities. We consider that the priorities that have to be addressed in the following period are: inclusive education at the preschool level; revision of insurance rules and regulations with human and financial resources; emergency education (eg COVID-19 but also other types of emergencies); ensuring an adequate salary for the specialists from the Psycho-pedagogical Assistance Services, the most important structures in the context of promoting and implementing the inclusive education. It is symbolic that this decade ends on December 10, the day we celebrate and appreciate, once again, human rights. On this day is organised the Inclusive Education Gala, awarding educational institutions with innovative practices in promoting and implementing the inclusive education”, concluded Liliana Rotaru, APSCF President.
The National Conference in the field of inclusive education “Implementing inclusive education in the Republic of Moldova – a decade of challenges and a vision for new achievements” took place between 1-10 December and included several webinars in which the results obtained in the implementation of the Inclusive Education Development Program for 2011-2020.
Once signing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Republic of Moldova has assumed responsibility for amending educational laws, policies and practices aimed at protecting and promoting children’s rights, providing children with social security and conditions for development. intellectual and physical as complete as possible, to realise the right of all children to education in an inclusive system ensured at all levels.