INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN UZBEKISTAN

There are two main approaches to understanding what “disability” is. The first one, traditional approach is medical. According to it, disability is an illness. Cure an illness, and all problems of the person will be resolved. In accordance with the medical approach, all efforts should be aimed at cure or “correction” of violations or deviations in the person, his approaching to “normal”.

The “Inclusive Education for Children with Special Needs in Uzbekistan” Project took part in the photo exhibition “Faces of the European Union Cooperation” in Tashkent. The exhibition was organized by the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Uzbekistan, under the support of the Academy of Arts, as part of celebration of Europe Days in Uzbekistan and the European Year of Development.

“Each of us has a dream, and the most important thing is that our dream determines our nowadays, and largely – our future. But the dream of the child is always sincere, pure… cherished”, - the initiator of the event Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva said, commenting the event. Today our children shared their dreams through their paintings and pavement chalk drawings.

After the Training I came to realize that they are the same people as we are, they just need a special attention from the society as a whole

A workshop on the development of Inclusive Education with participation of over 30 people was held in Namangan on the eve of the Children’s Day. Among the participants of the seminar there were the directors and teachers of pilot schools and preschool educational institutions in which introduction of inclusive education is planned since September of this year.

On May 29, 2015 in «Grand Mir Hotel», the project «Inclusive Education for Children with Special Needs in Uzbekistan” held a Kick – Off Conference. The project aims to improve the quality of education for children with special needs between the ages of 2 and 10 years and promote their inclusion in mainstream schools and kindergartens in Uzbekistan.

The workshops “Trainings for Trainers” were organized within the Project on April 20-23, and on May 18-23, 2015, in Tashkent region. 40 people from among the regional experts and trainers on Inclusive Education from Termez, Samarkand, Tashkent city and Tashkent region, Urgench and Namangan participated in these seminars.

A workshop with the directors and teachers of the pilot educational institutions was held in the Resource Center on Inclusive Education on the basis of secondary school No.324 in Tashkent on May 8, 2015. This event is one of the regular activities of the Resource Center under the Project “Inclusive Education for Children with Special Needs in Uzbekistan”.

Festival dedicated to the International Day of Social Protection of the Rights of People with Health Restraints took place at the National University of Uzbekistan on May 2.