January 2015 – December 2016

Cost of the Project

298,495 USD

Funded by: Open Society Foundations/Early Childhood Program

Implementing Partners: Educational Program “Pas cu Pas” and Keystone Moldova

“Piloting inclusive education models for preschool children in Moldova” Project lies in complex and multidimensional approaching of the issue of inclusion of children with special educational needs, by mobilizing and empowering relevant stakeholders in the implementation of the Inclusive Education Development Program in Moldova for 2011-2020. The project focuses on ensuring the access of children with special educational needs in pre-school institutions.

The target group of the Project is formed of 15 pre-school educational institutions from 14 communities of the Republic of Moldova.

The Districts where the project is implemented are: Anenii Noi, Edineţ, Hînceşti, Criuleni, Cahul, Căuşeni, Teleneşti, Orhei, Străşeni, Ştefan Vodă and Leova.

The Project aims on four objectives:

1. Developing and piloting models of inclusive education in 14 communities by applying assessment mechanisms for educational needs of children and provide support to institutional, community and district specialized structures level;
2. Capacity building of managers, teachers, LPA in order to ensure inclusive education of children with special educational needs;
3. Raising awareness of communities and relevant stakeholders to develop inclusive culture;
4. Strengthening partnership with the central authorities in the development of early inclusive education methodology.

Outcomes:

• Establishing a functional mechanism in educational inclusion of pre-school children, including children with special educational needs in 14 communities;
• Development of assessment tools for educational needs of children and monitoring the continuous progress;
• 150 children of pre-school age (3 – 7 years old) with special educational needs benefit from qualitative education in preschool educational institutions;
• 90 % of managers and staff of pre-school institutions in 14 communities can identify children’s needs and possess the skills and competencies to use advice and support mechanisms for their educational inclusion;
• 70 % of educators know how to solve typical problems of children with special educational needs and monitor child development;
• 70% of educators are working with teachers from primary school to ensure the transition of children with special educational needs from kindergarten to school;
• At least 2/3 of parents of children with special educational needs are aware of their children’s rights to attend a pre-school institution and have got increased capacities to provide support for child in educational inclusion;
• The number of children and parents who have a positive attitude towards children with special educational needs and accept them as colleagues and friends increased by 30%;
• The number of LPAs offering support to children with special educational needs to integrate into a pre-school institution increased by 30%;
• Development of training modules to be offered to the staff of other preschool institutions, at national level;
• Introducing the materials used within the trainings, including movies, case studies in the frame of the inclusive educational courses at three Universities and four Pedagogical Collages from Moldova;
• Dissemination of good practices of implementing inclusive education in 15 pre-school institutions within a national conference, with the participation of local authorities specialized in education from 32 ATU, Ministry of Education and Republican Center of Psycho-Pedagogical Assistance.