The Finnish Model for Enhancing the Quality of Inclusive Education
Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia Irina Abuladze opened the seminar "Inclusive Education, Social Entrepreneurship and Employment," organized in cooperation with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, the Embassy of Finland in Georgia, and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, where challenges related to the rights of persons with disabilities, their education, employment, and self-realization were discussed.
To ensure the right to education and employment for persons with disabilities, participants shared the experiences of the two countries at the joint seminar. Furthermore, a discussion was held with local and international experts.
Invited persons with disabilities, as well as representatives of governmental, non-governmental, and international organizations, had the opportunity to listen to information regarding implemented, ongoing, and planned measures in Georgia concerning the education and employment of persons with disabilities and special educational needs, and to discuss existing challenges within the systems.
The event, which covered almost all areas of inclusive education, was attended by the Ambassador of Finland to Georgia, Her Excellency Ms. Arja Inkeri Makkonen, as well as Deputy Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Protection of Georgia Tamila Barkalaia, Deputy Public Defender of Georgia Ekaterine Skhiladze, and other invited guests.
At the invitation of the Embassy of Finland in Georgia, a presentation on the Finnish education system was delivered by Mr. Jarkko Niiranen, Director of the International Finnish School, while the Finnish model of vocational education and employment for persons with disabilities was discussed by Tuomas Turma, Advocacy Coordinator at the Abilis Foundation.
Inclusive education is one of the top priorities for the Ministry. For the first time in the 2019-2020 academic year, by order of the Minister, and based on the interests of children with special educational needs, changes were introduced to the registration of first-graders for the 2019-2020 academic year, according to which priority in the first stage of registration was granted precisely to children with educational needs. The inclusive education information system and the InclusiveEdu project were developed and introduced; individual monitoring of up to 500 public schools was conducted; active work is underway on the professional development scheme for special teachers; the standards for school psychologists, special teachers, and individual assistants have been updated; a child intelligence assessment test was developed for children aged 2 to 6; and alternative and sensory curricula were introduced. An analysis of new textbooks from the first to the sixth grade was carried out, and new Georgian sign language signs were created where they did not exist. Notably, the integration of inclusive education will be implemented within the New School Model. In 2020, the Ministry will actively continue its work in this direction.
