Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities in CEE/CIS New York, February 2013

Inclusive Education

for Children with Disabilities in Montenegro

Pre-reform bottlenecks in inclusion of children with disability

• Situation in 2002:

→Outdated education system

→Lack of inclusive classrooms and services for children with disabilities (e.g. day care centres for children with disabilities)

→Stigma against children with disabilities (CwD)

2

Sector reform

Inclusive education today

• Law on education of children with special educational needs (SEN) harmonized with European legislation and the Resolution of the Council and the Ministers for Education of 31 May 1990

• Education for all children

• Children with special educational needs: children with disabilities (CwD), learning difficulties and disadvantages

3

• The Constitution guarantees the right to education under equal conditions

Principles of inclusive education

4

Inclusive principles

Child stays with his/her

family

Individual development -

educational program

Parents as partners

Children exceptionally referred to

resource centers (former special

schools)

Inclusive Education for children with disabilities in Montenegro

→ Inclusion into regular classes as first choice

→ Special classes in regular schools with joint teaching and activities in some subjects with peers in regular classes

→ Resource centre only if in the child’s best interest

• Day care centres (for children with moderate, severe and combined disabilities)

5

Inclusive Education for children with disabilities

in Montenegro

• Commissions for orientation of children with special educational needs at the local level

• Individual Development Educational Plan (IDEP)

• Teaching assistants

• Mobile teams to support regular schools

6

Orientation of children with special educational needs

247

654

960

1109

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

2009 2010 2011 2012 - Dec

Increase in the number of children with special educational needs (SEN) with commissions' decisions/referrals

7

Resource centres

Resource centre:

• Provides education if in the child’s best interest;

• Provides expert and advisory support on a specific disability to other educational institutions;

• Trains teachers who educate children with special educational needs.

443

405

257

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

2005/06 2008/09 2011/12

Decrease in the number of children with disabilities (CwD) in special educational

institutions

Number of CWD inspecial educationalinstitutions

8

It’s about ability campaign - Montenegro’s Behaviour Change Campaign Promoting Inclusion of Children with Disability

Campaign objective:

Increase awareness of Montenegro’s general public on the rights of children with disabilities and stimulate inclusive attitudes and practices towards children with disabilities in the society