March 21st marks the World Down Syndrome Day!
World Down Syndrome Day was officially recognized in 2011 under the auspices of the United Nations. Georgia for the ninth time joins the World Initiative with a worldwide message - "The decision is up to us".
Development of inclusive education, including the establishment of a quality education system accessible to the youth with Down Syndrome, is one of the priorities of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia.
The goal of the ministry is to provide everyone with an accessible educational arena and to instill adequate values for people with special educational needs and disabilities in the community. In this regard, the Ministry implements the "Inclusive Teaching Program" throughout Georgia.
The program includes the following subprograms:
1. Multidisciplinary Team Support Subprogram - Identifying the special educational need of a person based on the multidisciplinary team assessment and facilitating the teaching of individuals with disabilities in general education institutions.
2. Promoting Inclusive Education at the Vocational Education Level - Ensuring inclusion of people with disabilities in vocational education and having access to quality education. Also, support the education of students with disabilities in Higher Education Institutions.
3. Financing the Integrated Classes at Public Schools subproject - Provision of educational services to students with autism spectrum and long-hospitalized chronic illnesses with sensory, hearing impairment, moderate, severe intellectual and multiple disorders.
4. Second Opportunity for Education with Social Inclusion - Providing education for children who are left out of education for various reasons. Encourage the inclusion of all children in the formal education system and maximize their capacity to develop. Preventing early school dropouts.
5. Information and methodological support for inclusive education - Methodological support for the inclusive education process at the general, vocational and higher education level. Within the subprogramme, supportive educational resources, guides and posters are created to raise public awareness of inclusive education.
