Recommendations for changing policies for inclusive education in Bulgaria were addressed at a round table organized by the “Karin Dom” Foundation.
The non-governmental organization has many years of experience in the field of therapy and rehabilitation, early intervention and integration of children with special needs. Karin Dom also conducts specialized training for specialists, parents and organizations in the field of working with children.
The main focus of the discussion was Iceland’s experience in inclusive education, and it is important to note that Karin Dom is developed in partnership with the State Diagnostic and Counseling Center in Iceland.
The attendees agreed around the need for cooperation and mutual connectivity between the three main responsible institutions – the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Policy.
The executive director of the “Karin Dom” Foundation, Borislava Cherkezova, introduced the attendees to the main components planned for discussion during the round table, which took place under the heading “Addressing recommendations for changing policies for inclusive education”.
The specialist in speech therapy and trainer at Karin Dom, Nicoleta Yoncheva, presented Iceland as an example of a country that, despite the challenges, has found the way to establish an effective education system working in conditions of public tolerance, empathy and continuity.
Iceland has a Ministry of Happiness, which in itself implies existence not for the sake of division, but for the sake of goodness, Yoncheva explained.
Child care in Iceland begins at birth. During the first few weeks, a nurse comes to his home every day, helps to build the environment, gives guidance in care. There is also the question of whether the parent feels comfortable enough to raise him in this environment.
In the first year, a serious mandatory health screening is conducted regarding his overall development – does he feel good in his environment, does he have language-speech, communication, nutritional or other developmental delays, Yoncheva explained. She emphasized that in Iceland the main focus is on the child’s abilities – what he can do, instead of what he can’t do.
All education in Iceland is related to creativity, to work on various projects and to creativity, Nikoleta Yoncheva added. In schools and kindergartens, there is no distinction between teachers, parents and social assistants, as they all work together.
“I can learn from you – you can learn from me” is the principle of interaction in educational institutions in the country.
Parents do not need to wait for the feedback of the respective teacher – rather, everyone strives to favor the school or kindergarten environment.
The question is not “What does the teacher think?”, but – “What can I do to make my child feel better in his environment and, accordingly, what can I do to support the institution he is in?”
The parent knows what he can’t label the child’s path, Yoncheva said. According to her, all children can have additional knowledge in mathematics, in drawing, or additional work on social skills. It is possible that the child is simply more emotional, we come from another country and need help with integration.
“In Bulgaria, we have a well-written recommendation on how to proceed with talеnted children, but this rather happens in sports and music schools, while in average schools this is very difficult to continue, unless we rely on private practice,” said Yoncheva .
In Iceland, it’s all a well-oiled algorithm – no waiting for weeks, no applying here and there. Directly in the health facilities, each parent can receive help and assistance from the relevant social worker regarding the necessary diagnostics, options for further education and care, etc. Any private organization could, in parallel with representatives of a state organization, support the child. The system is the other way around – I’m not looking for the places that can support me, but the places provide me with this support, without worrying whether I will be able to financially secure it or not”, Yoncheva summarized.
The event was also attended by the chairman of the “Life with Down Syndrome” Foundation, Silvia Hristova, who shared her experience as a parent of a child with special educational needs. Later, attendees watched a short video of her daughter Mikaela’s journey through the education and care she received at Karin’s home. The short film was accompanied by a presentation of the activities of Karin Dom by the director of “Services for Children and Families” Zhenislava Sapundjieva. She was joined by another parent – Galya Koycheva, who manages the Association “Family Center – Maria” in the city of Varna.
Bulgaria’s experience in inclusive education was also shared by UNICEF early childhood intervention consultant and NBU representative Tsveta Kamenski and the director of “Policies for Children” at National Network for Children, Plamena Nikolova.
The director of Kindergarten 23 “Iglika” in Varna, Marcela Petrova, stated that, in her opinion, communication, coordination and calmness are key to effective work with children with special educational needs. Due to the lack of social assistants for children with disabilities, Petrova made a proposal for mutual work between the kindergarten, where she is the director, and Karin dom – if necessary, qualified persons should be sent to work with the children.
The specific recommendations for improving inclusive education were presented by the administrative director of the Karin Dom Foundation, Bistra Boncheva. A unified information system is needed, which contains structured information about the path of the family in which a disabled child is diagnosed. Additional training of specialists who work with children is needed to remove the stigma that only resource teachers should deal with them. Financial compensation for workers is needed in order to maintain their motivation to work. Care programs are also necessary for families who have children with difficulties. This can be achieved by changing the management of health, education and social policies or by introducing a Law on Integrated Services, modeled on Iceland, suggested by the “Karin Dom” Foundation.
The organizers stated that they have prepared a letter with the entire set of recommendations, which will be sent to the Ministry of Education as soon as possible.
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