INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN UZBEKISTAN

“Summer School on Inclusive Education” was held from 17 to 28 August, 2015, in Tashkent oblast. This training was the final phase of training for teachers and educators before inclusion on September 2nd, 2015, of children with special educational needs in 15 pilot kindergartens and 15 pilot comprehensive schools in 5 regions under the Project implementation (Tashkent, Samarkand, Khorezm, and Namangan and Surkhandarya oblasts).

One of the first Summer Schools on Inclusive Education under the “Inclusive Education for Children with Special Needs in Uzbekistan” Project funded by the European Union got started on August 17. The school was held in a picturesque place in Bostanlyk district, Tashkent oblast. A series of training seminars fordirectors and teachers of the pilot schools and kindergartens from five regions of Uzbekistan (Tashkent, Samarkand, Khorezm, Namangan and Surkhandarya oblasts), as well as for the partners of regional branches of the Ministry of Public Education, the RepublicanCenter for Social Adaptation of Children, and otherentities to better prepare for the beginning of theacademic year was heldas part of the Summer School.

Summer School was held under the coordination of experts from countries of the European Union and Uzbekistan, with the participation of specialists of the RepublicanCenter for Social Adaptation of Children, and the othertrainers from the above mentioned five regions who were trained in April - May this year. The training involved more than 130 specialists from Uzbekistan: August 17-19, 30 participants from Tashkent and Tashkent oblast, August 20-22, 50 specialists from Khorezm and Samarkand oblasts, August 26-28, 50 specialists from Namangan and Surkhandarya oblasts.

In the framework of the Summer School the participants were trained in new teaching methods, and in the group exercises they learned to apply the practices of Inclusive Education at adaption of the educational programs to the capabilities of children with special needs for realizing the potential of children. The Summer School became the final stage oftraining teachers from 30 pilot schools and kindergartens before admitting 800 children with special needs into general education institutions. Since the beginning of the new academic year teachers and specialists will receive ongoing support from the experts of the Project for successful implementation of the Inclusive Education process.

Photos of the Summer School, as well as the statements of participants are available on the Project’s page in the social network Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ inclusive.uz