| Description of good practice: |
Based on the work of Association Inclusion there are no more special classes and special schools in Brcko District, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Around 400 children with intellectual disabilities are integrated in regular kindergartens, primary and secondary schools with adjusted individual curricula and professional support. In order to be able to address the special educational needs of these children, there are more than 750 teachers in Brcko District who need to receive training on inclusive approaches to education. In year 2006,
140 teachers and other professionals in two large schools have been trained to provide support to children with intellectual disabilities in regular classes.
In year 2007 around 114 teachers from two other schools were professionally upgraded.
Around 40 children with severe intellectual disabilities are included in regular primary schools. Currently there are 9 children with severe intellectual disabilities who have finished their primary schooling and should start attending secondary school with their peers and gain independent living skills and some occupational training. The Plan of Association Inclusion for children with severe intellectual disabilities is to continue their occupational training and secure employment through a Day Activities Program. In addition to training
teachers and working with all the children in the classroom, they also work on raising awareness of the general public as well as stakeholders on the right of children with intellectual disabilities to inclusive education.
Special educators in cooperation with social workers, teachers and speech pathologists provide professional support to children with intellectual disabilities. After the training by Association Inclusion they continue working in schools, kindergartens etc. with children with intellectual disabilities. Together with teachers, special educators identify, evaluate, observe and determine the most applicable type of education for each child. They follow each child's adjusted individual curriculum, help teachers find and develop the most suitable didactic material. Furthermore, special educators also work with parents. They provide professional support to all parents and they also include parents in developing adjusted individual
curricula for their child.
The purpose of the project “Integration of children with intellectual disabilities into regular schools (2007)”was to hold inclusive education seminars for 130 teachers in 2 schools and to establish a model of support for children with more severe intellectual disabilities attending regular secondary schools. At the same time, the project plans were to continue providing support to teachers working with children with intellectual disabilities who have already attended inclusive education training seminars, thereby ensuring that 400 children with intellectual disabilities can realize their right to inclusive education.
The project activities were implemented by experts (members of the NGO professional support team as well as 3 guest lecturers from the University of Zagreb) and included the participation of directors of schools as well as representatives of the Brcko District government. The training participants received a training manual (approximately 250 pages with theoretical background and practical examples).
When we started implementing this project we expected to be faced with negative attitudes of children in classrooms and their teachers. For example, some teachers had difficulties in accepting that with some children progress is slow, and that some children will not learn how to read and write. This is why we focused on training and supporting teachers. We also managed to secure financial resources to provide additional financial incentives to teachers working with children with intellectual disabilities. The teachers felt secure and supported and had a very positive influence on the remaining children in their classrooms
who accepted the children with disabilities.
One of the barriers they did not account for was resistance from parents of children with more severe intellectual disabilities. Many of them believed that their child was incapable of attending regular schools, and expressed fear that their child would be ridiculed. This was because for years experts convinced them not to expect anything from their children. At the same time, a special school operates in the Tuzla Canton (neighboring to Brcko District) which, for some parents served as a reinforcement that their children can
not attend a regular school. They worked with these parents and built a trusting relationship and ensured them that support would be available to their child in school.
Maybe the biggest barrier to successful integration of children with intellectual disabilities is the lack of understanding of integration and inclusion by organizations from both the governmental and nongovernmental sector. In order to overcome this barrier they are continuously working on sharing a common vision of inclusion by establishing models of good practice and promoting the positive outcomes of integration in the media. |
