New chances given to children with disabilities

The National Council of Experts for Promoting Inclusive Education started its activity in Moldova. The new working group bringing together experts from governmental bodies and NGOs will contribute to integrating children with disabilities into the general education system of Moldova. The council was founded at the initiative of the civil society, represented by Speranta Day Shelter in Chisinau. According to Lucia Gavrilita, the former director of Speranta and the incumbent deputy minister of Social Protection, Family and Child, in this way, another step has been made towards a better future for the disabled children and their parents, who wish that their children are educated in schools, like other children. School integration is part of social integration, Gavrilita said. The the Council will be run by specialists from the Ministry of Education and Youth (MET), Education, Youth and Sports General Department, the Institute of Education Sciences, “Aleco Russo” State University (Balti), “Pro Succes” Gymnasium (Chisinau), “Speranta” Centre, School-Kindergarten no.120 (Chisinau), School-Kindergarten no.152, “Pas cu Pas” Programme and others. The Council is charged with analysing methods for school integration and stages for implementing educational integration, initiating proposals for improving the integration process, as well as lobbying. Until now, several educational institutions accepted children with disabilities, including “Speranta” Day Centre and the School-Kindergarten no.120 (primary education), School-Kindergarten no.152 (pre-higher education) and “Pro Succes” Gymnasium (secondary education) in Chisinau. Also in 2006, Institute of Education Sciences (ISE), in collaboration with the “Speranta” Centre and “Pro Succes” Gymnasium, worked out the Concept of educational integration, a document that was approved by the ISE Council and is to be approved by MET. About 1800 children with disabilities are registered in Chisinau. According to a survey conducted by “Speranta” Day Centre, 273 of them are given education at home.