INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND NEWLY ARRIVED Erasmus Project

Project Title

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND NEWLY ARRIVED

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Integration of refugees; Disabilities – special needs; Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development)

Project Summary

The project was proposed by parents long involved (over 15 years old) as representatives in elementary and middle-schools. This status helped to identify gaps in the measures for the inclusion of children with disabilities and special educational needs (ESH-EBES) and for the newcomers, condsidered, in our project, as children with special educative needs. Since the Salamanca Declaration, 1994, the Luxembourg Charter, 1996 and the “handicap” law, 2005 in France, the “integration” of (ESH-EBES) has taken an important place in European public policies and education systems. Children are educated in ordinary schools. This policy is certainly positive for equality and equity between children. However, the human and technical resources put in place for its implementation are highly questionable in several European countries. 1/Lack of individualized support for (ESH-EBES); 2/Lack of competence of teachers in regular classrooms; 3/Lack of involvement and information for the parents concerned; 4/Lack of coordination between educational and professional institutions.
The project focuses on one of the points, which is considered to be the cornerstone for improving inclusion. The aim is to strengthen teachers’ methodological skills through an exchange of practices between peers. This aspect of the project allows positive intervention on the isolation, powerlessness and emotional crises experienced by ordinary classroom teachers. Objectives/ *Understand the context, policies, mechanisms and resources invested for “inclusive education” -EI- in the 4 countries involved in the project; *Enable teachers to observe and exchange practices, methods and approaches put in place by their colleagues in the contexts of the 4 project countries; Give teachers the opportunity to overcome their isolation and powerlessness in welcoming ESH-EBES. To be able to express their emotional feelings with other teachers; *Incite public policies to promote horizontal peer-to-peer training for more effective inclusive practices.
121 direct participants in the Transnational Meetings TM were able to experiment and discuss the issue of inclusive education IE. Some of them made several trips. more precisely, 85 people participated. the host partners involved actors and beneficiaries on site. a total of 200 participants in workshops, conferences and seminars (excluding direct participants). We did not take into account the public meetings participants. Out of 4 organized, 40 to 50 participants per public meeting, excluding direct parties.
Profiles: teachers, directors – elementary, middle school, high school and vocational high schools-; families; professionals (special educators, psychologists, speach-therapists, physiotherapists, ergotherapists, pedagogues); ESH-EBES; newcomer students; researchers and academics; teacher trainers; trainers of special educators; community leaders for disabled adults, academic inspectors; political representatives (Mayor, Deputy 20th Paris-FR; Mayor of Braila, Rou; Mayor of Sopot, Pol; Mayor and Deputies of the city of Kumanovo, Macé); Journalists – Media-; Spot on the Macedonian national TV.
The particularity of the project is the contribution of exchanges by experimenting and work on the ground. For the implementation of the project objectives. 3 methodological levels: 1/Political and social context of the IE/country; 2/Exchange of practices by immersion in the classes; 3/transcribe the activities into a guide with tool sheets from the 4 countries.
Immersion in class. Methodological;
Meeting of diagnostic structures for learning disabilities;
Workshops in centres for adults concerned with mental disabilities;
Meeting of parents affected by the EI. Sharing their Testimonies;
Debates with researchers, political representatives/ status of inclusion at local, national and European level, statistically and historycally speaking.
Inspectors, political rep, professionals: proposal of ways to improve the ESH-EBES welcoming in an ordinary environment.
1/devices discovered by teachers to be replicated/proposed in public policy. e.g, ergo-therapist, speach-therapists, physiotherapist, psychologist available at school/students, families and teachers; artist.educat. tools for learning. Self-esteem of children and awareness of disability among children; awareness that the questionning on inclusion is the same in many countries; breaking the isolation and powerlessness of teachers; re-appropriation of innovative observed tools; types of organization for dialogue with families; co-construction of ESH-EBES individuals programs between teachers+parents; For the new participants involved in E+ projects, the experience was very positive on learning about how to set up, implement and coordinate a project.
A website with a blog to show the project dyn. and the activities carried out over the 2 years. An animated and up-dated FB page. A guide to inclusive practices from our field experience

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 133855,93 Eur

Project Coordinator

CULTURE XXI & Country: FR

Project Partners

• SSOU Kiro Burnaz Kumanovo
• Scoala Gimnaziala Ion Heliade Radulescu
• Association Regional centre for people with intellectual disability Poraka Nasa
• Scoala Gimnaziala Ecaterina Teodoroiu
• Szkola Podstawowa z Oddzialami Integracyjnymi nr 9 im. Gen. Wladyslawa Sikorskiego
• Ecole Elémentaire la Sente des Carrières
• Toli Zordumis