Includ-ed, red europea de educación inclusiva

From 4th to 10th November 2013, the International Inclusion Week 2013, organized by incluD-ed network partner Rytmus and the Czech association “People in Need” took place. Together Rytmus, its partners and the incluD-ed network support the move towards greater inclusion in educational settings as well as in our societies in general.

The Inclusion Week is celebrated every year since 2006 and seeks to underline the importance of creating inclusive environments in schools, to acknowledge diversity and to look for ways to overcome barriers to learning and participation in all school communities. From 2014, the incluD-ed network will develop the initiative on a European level.

Pre-schools, schools, colleges and universities, non-government organisations (NGOs), arts bodies, government, commerce and other organisations in all countries were encouraged to join the Inclusion Week and to organise events as part of this international celebration. The overall aim was to promote joint actions involving students with disabilities in mainstream schools.

In Czech Republic over 40 events were organized by schools and organizations. We have chosen six examples that will give you an insight in the amazing possibilities the inclusion week provides:

1) The Society of parents and friends of children with Down syndrome organized on the 3th of November 2013 a benefit concert of Japanese artists with participation of young people with Down syndrome (dance and drums). The concert took place in Prague, at the Society of parents and friends of children with Down syndrome headquarters.

A part from the concert the society contributed by organizing seminars for carers and pedagogues on teaching reading and mathematiques to children with Down syndrome in Vsetín, Mladá Boleslav and Prague.

2) Several schools were awarded the certificate “FAIR SCHOOL” by the Ligue for the Human Rights.

This certificate is given to those schools that are opened to all children without making difference between them and ready to include and educate children with handicap in ordinary classrooms. “FAIR SCHOOL” is a brand that ensures quality education, fair conditions for all children and fluent communication with teachers and the school management. The objective of the “FAIR SCHOOL” certificates awarding is to remind to the public that common education of all children in ordinary classrooms can work and represents a benefit for all the society. The event was celebrated on the 7^th November 2013 at the „Café Neustadt“in Prague.

In order to avoid unnecessary exclusion of some groups of children from the educational mainstream  the The Ligue for the Human Rights launched a website  http://www.mapaferovychskol.cz  which collects testimonials of students with social or health handicap, that are lucky to be educated in an ordinary primary school in their natural environment.

3) The Josef Václav Myslbek Primary school together with the kindergarten in Ostrov organized an activity called “alone in a group”.  The aim of the activity was to improve relationships between classmates and give food for thought about exclusion.

The activity was based on the simulation of feeling of exclusion and disadvantage (bullying, poor social background or health disability are the topics that will be dealt). At the end of the activity pupils discussed the feelings they experienced while playing the role of excluded individual.  This activity will be followed by other lessons that will enable better relationship in the classrooms.  

4) A working session on inclusion in schools was organized by the civic society Rytmus in the Café Neustadt in Prague. The working session was aimed at primary and secondary school teachers, pedagogical assistants and parents.

Participants had the opportunity to gain or share experiences with work methodologies related to the inclusion of children with mental handicap or multihandicap in an ordinary classroom of a primary school.

5) The OPEN SOCIETY FUND PRAHA foundation organized a debate on possibilities of extension of the inclusive education. The debate took place on the 8 November 2013 in Prague.

Representatives of the main stakeholders from the field of education discussed the roles they play in the inclusive education and what can be done by associations, organizations or labor unions in the framework of their competencies in favor of the extension of inclusive education.

6) The "Scouting for all" organization prepared a 3 days seminar called “Make Disadvantages Advantages” (8. November - 10.November 2013) in Prague aimed at boy scout troop leaders and other leaders of youth collectives. The participants learnt about how to work with children with specific needs together with the other children in order to make feel well everyone in the troop.

During the seminar participants learnt also from experiences of those who live with a specific type of handicap. Experts gave advices and tips about how to integrate children with different kinds of necessities in the troop. The seminar also offered space for debate, questions and answers and sharing of experiences from the troops.