| Description of good practice: |
Children with disabilities and with learning difficulties feel included in the regular schools in Albania. They have created social relations and emotional bonds with their peers, and trust in teachers. Learning, playing, and communicating with other children has helped them reduce dependency on mothers and teachers, and has led them towards self-autonomy. Peer pressure has encouraged them to be like others, and to assume responsibilities for learning and socialization. At regular schools, CwD stay longer with their peers than with the supportive teacher and class teacher, as contrasted to the first month of arrival at
school.
The presence of CwD in regular classes has been a life lesson for other children as well. Classmates are more sensitive on the special needs of their friends with disabilities and learning difficulties. The early socialization has instilled in them empathy and solidarity. Socialization with regular schoolmates has stimulated CwD development and interest for things of their age. Peers have developed social competence to care for people in need. They report that the presence of a friend with disability in the classroom has made them more sensitive towards younger siblings at home. The school program has proved very helpful for the dissemination of information on disability and human rights. The school
teachers and students’ councils organize many activities on CwD rights.
Class teachers organize once a week a class discussion on human rights, and the right to education for CwD and other marginalised children. In the subject of Civic Education, teachers organise many thematic discussions about social inclusion and respect for diversity, whereas students design projects on awareness-raising. Class teachers organise peer tutoring with the best friend of the CwD, to help the latter with the learning and socialization process, which is very relevant in the absence of the supportive teacher. The friendship goes beyond school, as peers invite their friends with disabilities in their personal festivities (birthdays, concerts, exhibitions) and provide them company after-school. Peers avowed to have very special feelings for their friends with disabilities, and try to include them in their own friendship circles:
“I like to come to school, because I have friends here, and I come to school for them. I used to stay in a day care centre; I had nothing to do there, I had no friends, I had no one whom to talk with. My friends at school love me and I love them back. They made school seem nice to me. They help me surf the Internet and find things I am interested in. I like music, but I was afraid of singing because of judgements. I was ashamed of singing in front of others, but my friends heard me singing, and they told me I was good at it. They are the jury! I don’t like to have the teacher around me all time. I don’t like it when my mom takes me to school every morning, and waits for me after school. I’m a grown up. None of my friends have any supportive teacher, or mother around at school. I’m like them. I know how to take care of myself, including others as well. I take care of my little niece. I realise I’m a grown up, and that I am not a child any more only when I’m with my niece. All caress me at home, but I don’t’ like it, because to them I’m still a little child. I want them to consider me as a grown up boy, as equal to them. I like to be with my friends when the school finishes, and to go to high school. I don’t want to be separated from my school friends.”
– Interview with a CwD, Down syndrome, 9th grade, “31 Korriku” school, Burrel.
“Fred is very lovely! He likes to be with us a lot and doesn’t like to stay with the teacher or familiars in school. He wants to be like us. He told his mother to stop accompanying him to school, because he knows the way to school. We consider him as one of us, equal to us. He is even better than us, because he is never angry at us, and he smiles a lot. He is so charming and sociable. I feel so well in his company, because he never judges me for what I say or how I look like. He forgives a lot, even those who bully him. He makes them feel ashamed because instead of offending them, he smiles them back. None of us has that ability to forgive the aggressor. He is the joy of our group. He is not so open to everyone though. He is open to us because he feels safe in our company. We are his friends, and he knows that. He talks to us about things he likes most, and he likes computers and music. He is a very talented singer, and sings at our birthdays and other school fest-activities organized by the class teacher. He is amazing; he makes friends everywhere, whereas I am very shy to make new friends. His new friends become our friends (old friends), and ask us frequently how he is doing. He can do the same things as us, and sometimes even more. Maybe, with a little help, he can work, and create his own family in future”
– Interview with a student, “31 Korriku” school, Burrel. |
