Inclusive education and its problems

The Public Defender of Georgia has addressed the Ministry of Education and Science with a proposal to accelerate the improvement of legislation pertaining to inclusive education.

In particular, Ombudsman Ucha Nanuashvili stated the inclusive education multidisciplinary team’s functions should be defined in detail at the legislative level, which would increase the efficiency of the organization of inclusive education at schools and its supervision, as well as its functions as a mediator between the school and the parents of pupils with special needs.

The mother of a child with autism, who said that the school did not take into account the specific needs of her child with disabilities, appealed to Nanuashvili.

The woman said that on the principal’s orders, if a student arrives late when little time is left before the end of the lesson, he/she is not let into the classroom.

“The principal’s sole decision has not been relevantly responded to by the Ministry,” the Ombusman stated.

The Public Defender considers that the inconsistent approach towards the specific needs of a child with autism, as well as the imperfect legislative framework of inclusive education, encourages discrimination against children with disabilities.

The Public Defender also addressed the Ministry of Education and Science to define the role of a special teacher at the legislative level and to increase the efficiency of their functions in terms of making decisions concerning the inclusive school education of students with special needs.

Inclusive education remains a problem in Georgia, and many children with various disabilities are left without the fundamental right to receive an education.

A lack of knowledge and awareness of different forms of disabilities make the problem even more complicated.

First of all, the Government must ensure the protection of the interests of all its citizens through relevant legislation and appropriate enforcement of the law.

The Government, with donors or different international and local organisations, must also increase of public awareness of the problem.

Parents of children with disabilities should also be more active in protecting the interests of their children and should not hide their children indoors and out of the public eye.