Persons with special educational needs undergo testing
On the initiative of the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, persons with special educational needs (SEN) have been enrolling in vocational education institutions for the second year. At this stage, testing of SEN persons for various vocational education programs is underway. Today, Tamar Sanikidze, Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, and Ketevan Natriashvili, First Deputy Minister, familiarized themselves with the testing process.
The introduction of inclusive education in the vocational education system began in January 2013. Ensuring the accessibility of vocational education for SEN persons is one of the priorities of the Ministry of Education. The Ministry has developed a mechanism for enrolling SEN and PWD persons into the vocational education system based on vocational testing, which is grounded in the practical trial of the priority professions named by the student (up to three). Decisions regarding which educational program a person should be enrolled in are made based on the analysis of their individual needs, interests, and capabilities. Through these procedures, during the 2013 autumn admission, 51 SEN and PWD persons were enrolled in vocational schools.
For the 2014 spring admission, 44 applicants with special educational needs registered. Vocational testing began on April 24 and will conclude on April 28. Vocational school teachers, together with inclusive education specialists, plan the process taking into account the individual needs of each applicant. To ensure the effective conduct of the process, when necessary, the Ministry of Education ensures the involvement of a sign language interpreter during vocational testing and provides all necessary resources. Already enrolled SEN students will be provided with an appropriate learning environment, and two inclusive vocational education specialists and one assistant will work with them.
Inclusive vocational education will facilitate the realization of the capabilities of SEN and PWD persons, as well as the development of professional skills, which is a prerequisite for their subsequent employment.
Vocational education for persons with special educational needs in Georgia is implemented within the framework of a joint initiative by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia and the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research. For the effective conduct of inclusive vocational education, 18 inclusive education specialists are involved across 6 vocational education institutions, and the process is monitored by the inclusive vocational education administration.
