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→Outdated education system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