LEARNING TOGETHERPROGRAMMATIC APPROACHES, METHODOLOGIES AND BEST PRATICES

FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN THE BALKANS

Report developed by Estella Guerrera

With the contribution of:

Elena Avenati, Chiara Damen, Maria Luz Larosa, Elisabetta Mina and Patrizio Ponti of Save the Children Italy

Suela Bala, Melita Kabashi and Fatima Smajlovic of Save the Children International

Graphic:

Mauro Fanti - InFabrica - Gruppo Comunicazione e Marketing

Printing:

Arti Grafiche Agostini

Published by:Save the Children Italia OnlusNovember 2014

Save the Children Italia OnlusVia Volturno 58 - 00185 Romatel +39 06 4807001fax +39 06 48070039info@savethechildren.org

LEARNING TOGETHERPROGRAMMATIC APPROACHES, METHODOLOGIES AND BEST PRATICES

FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN THE BALKANS

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CONTENT

INTRODUCTION 4

1. INCLUSIVE EDUCATION AS A UNIVERSAL RIGHT 7

2. THE POSITION OF SAVE THE CHILDREN 11

3. INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN THE BALKANS 15

4. PROGRAMMATIC APPROACHES 214.1 General planning criteria in inclusive education 214.2 Methods and tools to improve access to education 224.3 Methods and tools for quality education 234.4 Methods and tools for strengthening communities and civil society 264.5 Supporting changes in laws, policies and practices 274.6 Challenges and resources for change 28

5. STRENGTHENING INCLUSION: POSITIVE TRANSFORMATIONS 33

CONCLUSIONS 37

BIBLIOGRAPHY 39

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INTRODUCTION

Inclusive education refers to the capacity of an education system to accommodate all children1, without excep-tion, within the formal education process and to promote their learning and full development together with their peers. The inclusion process may therefore be defined as the system of interventions needed to ensure full attainment of the right to education and equal learning opportunities for all students, regardless of gender, personal circumstances and social origins.

“Strengthening inclusive education” means “strengthening communities”: by welcoming and valuing indi-vidual diversities as important elements within a community, we contribute to the creation of conditions for change and cultural and social development. These changes, starting with education systems’ capacity to ac-commodate students in an equitable way, lead to the gradual consolidation of more cohesive social systems, capable of taking care of and meeting the needs of all citizens, guaranteeing them dignity, respect for diversity, equal opportunities and access to services.

Guided by these principles, Save the Children2 has been working for several years in the Balkans through programmes and projects aimed at safeguarding all children’s right to education as well as ensuring respect for the non-discrimination principle. Particular attention is given to the inclusion of those children who, in this specific context, tend to be excluded and marginalised: children belonging to Roma, Ashkali and Egyp-tian minorities, children with disabilities and special educational needs, children living in rural remote areas. The implemented actions have been designed from the perspective of a multidimensional change, in which - thanks to an inclusive approach to education - it becomes possible to ensure a truly beneficial effect on the quality of life for all children.

The Balkans are a complex and multifaceted area in which, thanks to its programming and capacity-building work as well as a constant dialogue with civil society and institutions, Save the Children has become over time an important partner and a reference point, in supporting authorities, communities, schools, families and children. Working together with all relevant stakholders, it contributes to ensure that the education of each child becomes, in fact, a trigger to guarantee an inclusive and quality education for all children.

Beyond the desire to share the articulated course of action undertaken by Save the Children in the Balkans - Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia and Kerzegovina in particular, this document aims at highlighting the best practices emerging from the implementation of programmes in the region, in order to gather information, ideas and suggestions that can be useful for the realisation of future interventions in this field. The report also aims to provide a contribution to reflections on the topics of education, inclusion and social justice, as part of the currently ongoing international debate on the definition of the future post-2015 Development Agenda.

1 Being aware of the necessity to adopt an inclusive language, when using the term “children”, the report implicitly refers to both girls and boys. The same applies for other gender neutral terms, e.g. teachers, students and directors.

2 The present report refers to programs supported by Save the Children Italy.

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The present report is drawn on the study of sector-specific statistical data, thematic reports and documents re-leased by international bodies concerning the education sector in the Balkans, as well as material of active and completed Save the Children projects covering the period 2006-2014. Thanks to this analysis, key theoretical principles, methodological guidelines, strategies, tools, critical aspects and best practices were identified, with particular emphasis on common elements to all projects, which represent the methodological and operational framework that guides Save the Children intervention in the region.

The report starts by defining the topic within the international reference framework and by outlining the specific position of Save the Children on inclusive education, moving to the situation in the Balkans. It then presents the programmatic approaches which guide project design and implementation, as well as the methodologies and tools that helped facilitate change and achieve positive results, introducing in some cases innovative elements in the education system (e.g. the role of inclusive teachers/educators and the use of tools like the Individual Education Plan or the Index for Inclusion). Finally, the report describes the best practices that have come to light as a result of programme activities in the Balkans, and outlines recommendations ad-dressed to the key actors that in various ways are on the front-line in ensuring processes and programmes for educational and social inclusion.

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1. INCLUSIVE EDUCATION AS A UNIVERSAL RIGHT“Education for All effectively means FOR ALL, particularly those who are most vulnerable and most in need”(Preface to the Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education)

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The process of inclusion in the educational setting and of accommodation of children within the mainstream education system, by virtue of their individual characteristics and regardless of the possible presence of condi-tions of vulnerability, has gone through several phases, which are still coexisting at European and global levels.

The most distant point from the inclusive process is the condition of exclusion - the child has no access to educational services. Another situation that is very distant from inclusive education is represented by the phe-nomenon of segregated education, which is characterised by organising and developing teaching in a completely differentiated way, even on the curricular level, for certain groups of children, based on the model of special schools or special classes within regular schools. Intermediate forms within this process involve different stages in the way the system is organised, along a continuum that aims to progressively integrate those groups of chil-dren within regular classes. A completely inclusive education entails a combination of integrated actions, under-taken to include children in the mainstream education path, without separating them from their schoolmates and investing in activities for the whole class, while ensuring the presence of support personnel as the basis for an effective educational work.3 This principle was recognised at an international level by the Salamanca Statement4 which specifies that inclusive education (IE) is the most effective approach in guaranteeing a qual-ity education for all.

When it comes to educational practices in schools, the issue of inclusive education concerns all children who may experience exclusion or discrimination, and therefore a violation of their rights. As set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and reiterated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), education is a fundamental right, to be guaranteed in accordance with the capabilities and needs of each child, without anyone being excluded because of his/her personal characteristics. Accordingly, the CRC - along with other international treaties specifically dealing with certain groups such as women, minorities and people with disabilities5 - sets forth the right to non-discrimination and the obligation of signatory States to protect such rights. Education and inclusive education are therefore issues that need to be addressed by governments and communities through a universal approach based on rights, in order to ensure real op-portunities to learn and develop for all children.

In 2000, with the Millennium Declaration, the international community made a commitment to guarantee education for all as part of a common effort at a global level, including it within the Millennium Develop-ment Goals to be reached by 2015. Despite the considerable progress made toward reaching this goal, 58 million children are still excluded from education systems6 and many others are not adequately supported in their learning or are taught separately from their peers. There are groups of children who are at particular risk of exclusion, discrimination or drop-out because of specific fragilities or critical living conditions. UNESCO provided a description of groups of vulnerable children, for whom suitable inclusion processes must be put into action in the field of education: children with disabilities (BOX 1) and special educational needs (SEN) (BOX 2), children belonging to ethnic, linguistic or religious minorities (BOX 3), working children and adolescents, children affected by pathological conditions (i.e. HIV/AIDS), orphans, victims of abuse, victims of poverty, children living on the street, children involved in armed conflicts, migrants, nomads, refugees or displaced from conflict zones7.

3 In Italy reference is made to the current “school integration model” defined by Law 104/1992, which ideally leans toward the concept of “inclusion”, that is, the participation of children in regular classes, with adequate support.

4 UNESCO (1994) “Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education”.5 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006), Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against

Women (1979); Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities(1992).6 UNESCO Institute of statistics (2014) “Progress in getting all children to school stalls but some countries show the way forward”7 UNESCO Institute of statistics (2005) “Children out of school: measuring exclusion from primary education”

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The second Millennium Development Goal on education has revealed the limits of placing the principal emphasis on increasing access to education without giving sufficient importance to the issues of equity and quality. To tackle such a critical situation, and indeed fully guarantee the right to education for all, the process currently taking place at international level and directed at defining the future, post-2015 Development Agenda is in fact adopting - in the field of education - the concept of inclusion. The different actors involved in defining the Sustainable Development Goals - such as the Open Working Group on Sustainable Develop-

ment Goals (OWG), the Education for All (EFA) and the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) - have ex-plicitly referred to inclusive education in the proposals developed thus far8. This tendency underscores the im-portance of the process involving the reinforcement of education systems’ capacity to respond to the learning and socialisation needs of each child, through a trans-formation at various levels (institutional, legislative, organisational, community, scholastic and personal), in order to truly ensure quality education for each and every child.

Therefore, within the international framework and with respect to the commitment of States in ensuring equal rights and quality of life for all citizens, IE represents a key issue which cannot be guaranteed or achieved in an isolated manner: it must become a part of national educational strategies and innovative social and eco-nomic policies, that set forth a methodological and operational transformation of the school system as well

as a change in mindset within communities. Moving toward an inclusive education model, capable of taking charge of and responding to the diversity of needs of all children, entails opposing the exclusion of vulner-able sections of the population and eradicating discrimination related to gender, psychological and physical conditions as well as social and economic situations. Furthermore, it means increasing participation and active citizenship by building and reinforcing an “educating community” at local and national levels, which is sensi-tive to acceptance and cohesion, capable of including, valuing and supporting diversities and frailties, thus reducing social costs and improving the impact and efficiency of the entire educational system.

BOX 1 Disability - In the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities9, the term “children with disabilities”, is used with re-ference to “minors up to the age of 18, who have a deficit of a physical, mental, intelligence or sensory nature”. These conditions, when interac-ting with barriers or obstacles present in the environment, do not permit the child to participate fully in society, on equal terms with others. An innovative approach to disability is that of the World Health Organisation (WHO). The document, “ICF - International Classification of Functioning, Disa-

bility and Health” defines disability as a health condition within an unfavou-rable environment and proposes a holistic, bio-psycho-social and inclusive model of health, which takes into account the complexity of risk and protective environmental factors influencing the development of personal functions. The ICF requires educational planning centred on needs and resources, placing quality of life at the centre of systemic interventions that involve the relational context and the community to ensure, in every developmental phase, the child’s wellbeing and the possibility of actively fulfilling his/her own “life project”.

8 OWG: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all (http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/focussdgs.html) EFA: Ensure equitable and inclusive quality education and lifelong learning for all by 2030 (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/education-for-all) GCE: By 2030, ensure equitable, free and inclusive quality education and lifelong learning for all (http://www.campaignforeducation.org/en/campaigns/education-post-2015)9 United Nations: http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/conventionfull.shtml

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BOX 2 Special Educational Needs (SEN) - The concept of SEN has its origins in the 1970s in the United Kingdom and was adopted by UNESCO and education-related literature from the 1990s. Children “with SEN” live in a permanent or temporary condition of vulnerability, which can occur at a biological, family, or relational level, at times also caused by a combination of these factors. This kind of condition hinders children in their personal and social development, implying difficulties or a slowing down in learning processes, self-sufficiency and daily life. The definition of SEN in the school setting is changeable and only partially overlaps with the issue of disability: each culture and educational system defines them in its

own way and, consequently, develops different interventions to ensure adequate support for children.

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2. THE POSITION OF SAVE THE CHILDREN“All children and young people have equitable access to good-quality education and achieve good learning outcomes” (Save the Children’s proposal for a post-2015 global goal on education - Framework for the Future)

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Save the Children has adopted and promotes a vision of inclusive education as a universal process, to guaran-tee all children access to, and full participation in, the standard educational system, particularly if they belong to groups which are marginalised because of cultural, social or economic reasons or through forms of stigmati-sation within communities. Even within the international debate aimed at shaping the new post-2015 Devel-opment Agenda, Save the Children is actively promoting the issues of equity and inclusion. Thus, it proposes a goal related to education10 that identifies - as a fundamental criterion in the definition of quality education - the fact that it should take place within inclusive school systems and will not be considered reached unless it is met for every child. This vision is advanced through participation in international consultations on the post-2015 Agenda, as well as through networks involving other civil society organisations11.

Save the Children defines inclusive education as a key “dimension of a rights-based quality education which emphasizes equity in access and participation, and responds positively to the individual learning needs and competencies of all children […] to ensure that every child is supported to meaningfully participate and learn alongside his/her peers, and develop to his/her full potential”.12 This vision also emphasises the respon-sibility of the educational system to adapt to the child, not vice versa, and to collaborate also with other sectors such as health and social services whenever needed, in order to be able to offer all children equal opportunities and sufficient support, regardless of individual characteristics such as gender, language, ability, nationality and religion.

Making sure that children have the possibility to learn together not only defends their individual right to access education, but it also protects their right to receive an education that enables them to become fully participant, responsible, free and active citizens. An inclusive school setting offers children the opportunity to learn about, accept and appreciate diversity. This becomes a source of enrichment for the educational system, contributing to the fight against discrimination and the building of an open and welcoming society which takes into consideration everyone’s voice. Moreover, through inclusive teaching, characterised by diver-sified and cooperative methodological approaches, children can learn in a more active and participatory way and this has a positive impact on all children, not just those with special educational needs, by improving the quality of their learning.

Save the Children’s approach, following the principles of its Theory of Change, envisages the strengthening of four dimensions of action that are fundamental to IE, key elements aimed to guarantee sustainable changes and to maximise the positive impact of projects for children.

Be the voice of children to address attitudes. This element is a priority in the creation of a culture that is truly inclusive and can be reflected in the development of an educational context that respects and promotes the rights of each and every child.

Be the innovator: addressing barriers to access and learning, starting from best practices and innovative approaches for the creation of inclusive learning environments, with particular attention given to building and strengthening the technical and professional skills of education personnel.

Achieve results at scale: starting from the programmatic experience, encourage and support authorities and educational institutions at local, national and regional level in developing inclusive laws and policies, that ensure the respect of the right to education also for the children most at risk of exclusion.

10 Save the Children (2014) “Framework for the Future: Ending poverty in a generation”.11 Save the Children Italy is active in the Italian coalition of the Global Campaign for Education (CGE-IT), a network of civil society

organisations that carry out coordinated awareness-raising and information actions, to encourage governments to adopt and promote the principles of “public, free and quality education for all”.

12 Save the Children (2014) “Save the Children Stands for inclusive education”.

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Build partnerships, with the aim of pooling resources and capabilities, promoting collaborations and ensur-ing an exchange of information on a local, national and global level.

Save the Children supports IE as a thematic priority within the different programmes being carried out in the field of education and promotes a multidimensional approach to inclusion, understood as a process of change and strengthening of learning environments. Such a process targets all children and is closely tied to the complexity of the various contexts involved, which need to be supported in relation to specific national situations. This reinforcement of educational systems must be achieved on different levels: starting with teach-ers’ technical competence and their ability to develop strategies that enable all pupils to benefit from teaching and learning activities; through the physical accessibility and suitability of schools’ facilities and the availabil-ity of appropriate teaching materials and assistive devices; to finally bring about a revision of education laws and policies, marking a change in society’s cultural and pedagogical approach. This means that citizens, civil society and decision-makers must be proactive and cooperative in identifying the barriers that many children experience in attempting to enjoy their educational opportunities. They must also identify, within local com-munities, the resources that can allow for the overcoming of such barriers and the reinforcement of inclusive educational systems. The children themselves need to be able to actively participate in the process of defining education policies and learning programmes.

The contribution of a facilitating educational and community context, such as those supported by Save the Children through its programmes, can ensure each person, starting from childhood, equal opportunities for development and the possibility of fulfilling his/her right to education. This in turn enables people to freely define and achieve their “life project”, value their own identity and fully express their potential, while mak-ing use of positive, available resources (whether physical, cognitive, emotive or social), to become active and respected citizens, really included in their own community.

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3. INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN THE BALKANS“Inclusion involves change. It is an unending process of increasing learning and participation for all students”(Booth, T., Ainscow, M. “Index for Inclusion”)

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Save the Children has been present in the Balkans since 1996, in particular in Albania, Bosnia and Herze-govina and Kosovo. The first interventions were aimed at improving the living conditions of, and providing support to, children and families who were victims of the conflicts that this region has been marked by. These actions subsequently changed, evolving into wider-ranging programmes which led to the structuring of a network of interventions for children, in a number of different fields: child protection, health, protection of minorities, education and inclusive education.

According to the World Bank13, the Balkan countries fall into the middle income range, with a very low employment rate and a poor, fragile industrial development. These countries are at different transitional phases along the path towards accession to the Euro-pean Union and are affected by a high degree of social, political and economic complexity because of their populations’ heterogeneity, in which diverse ethnic groups, juridical/constitutional positions, cultures, re-ligions and languages coexist (BOX 3). This complexity impacts on educational services: guaranteeing an edu-cation system that is accessible to all therefore requires the investment of economic, human and “pedagogical” resources and a re-evaluation of policies and practices. Exclusion and stigma, linked also to strict social norms, are phenomena that continue to persist and can lead to polarisation and inequalities: between urban and rural contexts, which are often isolated and where services have been reduced; between settled communities and those affected by migrations and displacement result-ing from recent conflicts; between well-off families and families living in poverty; and between children who have the resources and opportunities to develop their talents and others who are living in deprived conditions.

Statistics on access to formal and inclusive education systems in Balkan countries16 indicate a fundamental lack of homogeneity. Moreover, educational inclusion strongly differs depending on the national context. These factors make it difficult to reach an unambiguous understanding of phenomena such as those of inclu-sion, exclusion or school drop-out at regional level. The data for single countries are also partial and often present clear gaps, particularly in relation to educational inclusion, and the absence or inaccuracy of disag-gregated data on the most vulnerable child population groups veils the fact that educational access is generally lower for marginalised children.

13 Data from the World Bank: http://www.worldbank.org14 European Commission (2009) “Social Protection and Social Inclusion in the Western Balkans”.15 Bokuli, S., Kostadinova, G., (2008) “Pushing for Change? South East Europe’s Minorities in the EU Progress Reports”.16 Data from the World Bank: http://www.worldbank.org

BOX 3 Minorities in the Balkans14 In the Balkan region concepts of “ethnicity” and “minority” are particu-larly controversial and reflect the geo-political changes that have affected the area. This degree of complexity translates into practical difficulties of definition and identification, which have repercussions on the difficulties in including children belonging to minority groups in the school system. In general terms, there are three types of groups in the region. National minorities: minority groups within the new national territorial set-up, whose equal rights are not always officially recognised by the majority in government. The Roma population: a minority that is difficult to take a census of, which does not often appear in official registries and is cha-racterised by substantial internal variability (e.g. Roma, Sinti, Ashkali and Egyptians). “Smaller minorities”15: made up by small linguistic groups and minorities, which are often ignored in the context of larger popula-tion groups.

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Albania

Youth literacy rate (ages 15-24): 98.7%

School attendance:17 Preschool (ages 3-6): 57.5%. Primary school enrolment (ages 6-15): 90.5%. Secondary school: 84%.

Educational inclusion of children with disabilities:18 The total number of children with disabilities who have access to compulsory education in Albania is 2,400, or 0.6% of children of school age.

Educational inclusion of the Roma population:19 Preschool sector: only 10% of Roma children of preschool age attend scholastic institutions. Primary school: 53% of Roma children aged over 6 have not completed the first grade of primary school. Of those aged between 7 and 20, 62% have never attended school.

In Albania, socio-educational inclusion is an open challenge. Despite the general economic and social im-provements made, many vulnerable children continue to be unable to access protection or quality educational services, especially in rural and remote areas, because of physical barriers, cultural and linguistic obstacles (par-ticularly for the Roma) and a lack of preparedness on the part of key actors. The accession process and the goal of joining the European Union have provided, from this point of view, a push to undertake a legislative review of child rights and of the measures needed to provide quality education. Currently, the Albanian government and relevant ministries (the Ministry of Education and Sports and the Ministry of Social Welfare and Youth) are taking decisive steps in the direction of reforms and national policies for child and social inclusion in line with international standards. Examples of this development include the “National Strategy of Pre-university Education 2009-2013”, the “National Action Plan for Children for 2012-2015”, and the “National Action Plan for Roma Inclusion 2010-2015”.20 Government bodies work in association with schools across the country to improve their capacities for inclusion. Nonetheless, measures required to put into force policy framework reforms are still inadequate as it is any real synergy between ministerial programmes, services provided by local bodies, civil society and the public education system. Save the Children contributes to supporting the existing process, backing up school teaching staff and civil society organisations in the joint creation of inclusive school environments. The central government education authority has also requested support from our organisation in the review of statutory provisions, in strengthening institutions’ capacity to implement the legislative reform and in the creation of a specialised unit for the education and integration of disabled children, in order to guarantee higher quality and equity in the public school system. Over time, the theme of inclusion within the mainstream education system has taken on a considerable relevance and has come to involve the principal institutional and civil society stakeholders, fostering positive changes and shared results.

17 Data from UNICEF, Albania Education Statistics, 2008-2012 (available at www.unicef.org).18 Data from Albanian Institute of Statistics (INSTAT), as of 2012 (available at http://www.instat.gov.al).19 Government of Albania (2011) “The Decade of Roma Inclusion: National Action Plan 2010-2015”.20 Save the Children (2012) “Inclusive education in Albania. Analytical Study” e Government of Albania (2011) “The Decade of Roma

Inclusion: National Action Plan 2010-2015”.

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Bosnia and Herzegovina

Youth literacy rate (ages 15-24): 99.7%

School attendance:21 Preschool (ages 3-6): 14.4%; primary school (ages 6-15): 97.5%; secondary school: 90%.

Educational inclusion of children with disabilities:22 In the 2013/2014 school year 1,015 children with disabili-ties were enrolled in 54 special schools of all types and levels, out of a total student population of 301,706.

Educational inclusion of the Roma population: There are no official comprehensive data on the Roma popula-tion or any reliable data on the school-age population, due to the movements of families within the country and school drop-out.23 Among the Roma included in official statistics (17,000 persons in 2010), the literacy rate is 75% and 50% of all recorded drop-outs are of Roma children24.

A high-quality educational system represents a key theme for the country, since its education policies emerge from a complex and fragmented federal political system25 in which each governmental body develops and enacts its laws, administrative instructions, protocols and standards. Owing to this fragmentation, the edu-cational system as a whole is lacking in resources and does not meet adequate standards. Professionals in this field also need to improve their skills and competencies. To this day, a fragmentation between three principal ethnic groups (Bosnians, Serbs and Croats) remains very clear, and is expressed through phenomena such as cultural and linguistic control of curricula, staff management and, more generally, access to education. Preschool education is scarce and disadvantaged and excludes the most vulnerable children. Equitable access to education has been recognised as one of the country’s priorities as shown by the existence of regulatory frameworks and implementation plans for inclusive educational processes, such as the “State Framework Law on Primary Education in BiH” of 2003, the “Action plan for children of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2011-2014”, the “Action Plan on the Education Needs of Roma and Members of Other National Minorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina” of 2004, the “Revised Action Plan on Roma Education” of 2010. Despite the changes that have taken place, institutions continue to display a lack of homogeneity when it comes to competencies and re-sponsibilities. Another clear priority is the need to harmonise school curricula for the different ethnic groups, in a country where one finds instances of stark differentiation such as educational courses based on ethnicity as well as mono-ethnic schools. Save the Children works in the country on projects that support IE and quality education promoting the system’s reform and innovation in educational policies and methodologies. This is also carried out through the involvement of and close collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Pedagogical Institute, civil society organisations, disabled people’s associations, universities and other interna-tional bodies present in the field. Save the Children’s work in the country aims to promote innovative methods and practices - thanks also to personnel training and to teaching aids - and drive positive changes in the as-sessment of the schools’ levels of inclusiveness, so that plans for development and improvement can become incorporated within the Cantons’ and Entity’s annual policies.

21 UNICEF (2013) “Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) Bosnia and Herzegovina 2011 - 2012”22 Data of the Statistic Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina: http://www.bhas.ba/index.php?lang=en23 Roma Education Fund (2009) “Advancing Education of Roma in Bosnia and Herzegovina”24 Dati Save the Children dal progetto “Inclusive Schools – Inclusive Communities Initiative”25 The government’s structure encompasses five levels: State level, Entity/District level (Federation and Republika Srpska Entities, Brcko

District), Canton level (10 Cantons within the Federation B-H), municipality level and town level.

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Kosovo26

Youth literacy rate (ages 15-24): 98%

School attendance: Preschool (ages 0-5): 2.9%. Pre-primary (ages 5-6): 63.8%27. Primary school and lower secondary school (7-15): 96.5%. Upper secondary school (16-19): 76%28.

Educational inclusion of children with disabilities: In the country there are 7 special schools and 77 special classes within regular schools, providing educational services to children with disabilities. Because of barriers and limited access to the regular school system, only 10% of children with disabilities have access to education. At the end of 2012, 1,179 children were attending special education institutions29.

Educational inclusion of the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian population: Literacy rate among youth: 65% for boys and 56% for girls.

The education sector in Kosovo has been disadvantaged throughout history, suffering from a scarcity of re-sources, particularly at the preschool level. With respect to compulsory education, there are special schools and special classes in regular schools in the country, reserved for children with disabilities and SEN30. In general, the obstacles to the development of a really inclusive system are the absence of mechanisms through which the most vulnerable children can be identified and monitored, the inadequate preparation of teaching person-nel, infrastructural barriers and an insufficient and ineffective allocation of funds. A further challenge for the education system in Kosovo, when looking at it from a human rights perspective,31 is the persistency of two separated education systems: the Albanian one, under the Kosovo jurisdiction, and the one referring to the Serbian education system, in the Serbian populated municipalities.

Over the course of time, reforms in the country’s system and strategies have been promoted by the Gov-ernment and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, in collaboration also with international stakeholders. These have envisaged an inclusive approach and the assuming of ever greater responsibilities in relation to the fulfilment of rights: respect for minorities, gender equality and the inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of society. For example, these themes have been included in a number of strategic plans and reforms, such as the “Kosovo Education Strategic Plan 2011-2016”, the “Strategy for Development of Pre-University Education in Kosovo (2007-2017)”, the “Strategic Plan of Education for Children with Special Education Needs 2010-2015”, the “Strategy for Development of Higher Education in Kosovo (2005-2015)” and the “National Strategy on the Right of Persons with Disabilities 2013-2023”32.

In Kosovo, Save the Children contributes to the dissemination and reinforcement of an innovative model for inclusive education. Good practices for the inclusion of vulnerable children in mainstream edu-cation have been gradually consolidated and enhanced in the country, through the combination of different intervention elements: training of professionals and strengthening of their skills, innovation of the educational system, revision of university and in-service training curricula, establishment of multidisciplinary groups for the assessment and monitoring of disability and provision of support and capacity building to civil society organisations. Collaboration between different actors and the constant dialogue with central and local educa-

26 Where not differently specified, data from: Kosovo Statistical Agency, relating to the 2010/2011 school year (http://www.erisee.org/).27 Kosovo Statistical Agency, data related to 2013/2014 (http://ask.rks-gov.net/arsimi/publikimet)28 Kosovo Statistical Agency, data related to 2012/2013 (http://ask.rks-gov.net/arsimi/publikimet) 29 Data from United States Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Country Reports on Human Rights

Practices for 2012 - Kosovo (http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/).30 Government of Kosovo (2009) “National Disability Action Plan 2009-2011”31 Government of Kosovo - Office for Good Governance (2009) “Strategy and Action Plan on Human Rights”32 Kosovo Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (www.masht-gov.net/).

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tional institutions, have allowed for the overall implementation of a network that supports the scholastic and social inclusion of children and assists their families.

Currently, common difficulties and critical situa-tions continue to exist in all of the Balkan countries. Aside from the ongoing presence of cultural stigma (BOX 4) and the difficulties resulting from political and economic instability, the gap between the regula-tory framework and its actual implementation in the school system’s practices is a particularly urgent issue. Serious gaps at institutional and school-system levels create divisions and hinder the development of inclu-sive paths.

This is why the IE work carried out and consoli-dated by Save the Children in the region led the organisation to become a key partner for central and local government institutions, ministries, civil society organisations, family associations and community rep-resentatives. Albeit slowly and with difficulty, all the actors welcomed the opportunities for innovation and improvement proposed by Save the Children and have collaborated in the front line, actively contributing to the implementation of shared educational planning models, calibrated to meet each country’s specific needs. This enabled them to activate innovation processes, express and gradually strengthen more suitable legal frameworks and increase professional competencies, launching courses of action that are still evolving, aimed in any event at the creation and structuring of inclusive socio-educational systems.

BOX 4 Stigma: Children in conditions of vulnerability may experience forms of discrimination and exclusion. This situation is tied to a series of social rejection phenomena, which fit under the heading of “stigma”. This comprises negative feelings and attitudes toward persons or target groups, owing to: rejection of diversity, prejudices leading to mistrust, lack of knowledge regarding characteristics of different types of psychological and/or physical deficit, unfounded fears of “contagion”, erroneous tradi-tional beliefs regarding the cause of disability (e.g. bad luck, one’s own fault or a family member’s fault). The impact of a stigma within society runs deep, leading to ostracism in a number of everyday contexts (family life, school, relational and community life) and restricting opportunities for development of those who are its victims. Overcoming stigma requires the entire community’s gradual involvement, in order to raise awareness, provide better understanding, help direct those in need to appropriate services and encourage empathy and a greater sense of solidarity toward those who are most fragile.

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4. PROGRAMMATIC APPROACHES“It is a great opportunity for me to be able to produce our own teaching aids and didactic material. By applying various methods and techniques, with minimal investments and using available resources, we achieve the maximum result”(B. Crepulja, Teacher, Tirana)

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4.1 General planning criteria in inclusive education

The general planning procedure, adopted by Save the Children when putting into practice inclusive paths, is based on an in-depth analysis of the exclusion phenomenon. Thorough assessments give rise to the elabo-ration of broad intervention strategies, capable of intercepting the largest possible number of children who, for different reasons, experience exclusion, marginalisation and difficulties in accessing schooling and learn-ing, together with difficulties integrating outside the school (youth, communities). One of the analysis Save the Children and its partners put together in order to assess the needs of children in a specific country is the “Child Rights Situation Analysis” (CRSA)32. According to its results, targeted interventions are undertaken to meet the needs of the identified vulnerable groups, such as children with disabilities, children with special educational needs, minorities and others.

Starting from a detailed analysis of the children’s needs and of context-based factors - environmental, rela-tional and personal - that either facilitate or hinder access to education, the inclusion process promoted by Save the Children’s interventions involves multidimensional and progressive change. It envisages the coexist-ence of different supporting factors, namely: the definition of adequate institutional and social policies; a pedagogical approach oriented toward cooperation and the welcoming of diversity; the realisation of precise methodological and organisational choices in the education sector; the use of teaching methods adapted to students’ needs; support to families who are vulnerable or at risk of exclusion; the activation of participatory processes; the eradication of stigma; awareness raising within the communities and networking.

In pursuing the goal of an inclusive and quality education for all, valuing the holistic and multi-faceted character of inclusion and aiming to create a cohesive and sustainable educational system, Save the Children intervenes in support of different types of stakeholders:

• children (with disabilities, SEN, belonging to minorities, in conditions of poverty or at risk of social ex-clusion), providing services tailored to meet their needs and involving them in participatory activities and initiatives, so that they may express their needs and stress which priorities for change they consider most necessary, for them to fulfil their own “life project” in the most autonomous way possible;

• schools, to offer opportunities for professional development and on-the-job training for educational person-nel, supporting their capacities to develop learning and socialisation paths which are in line with a rationale of inclusion;

• families and local communities, so that they may always have support and assume an awareness of their role in protecting and supporting children as well as in becoming agents in the elimination of discrimination and stigma, and for the promotion of equity and equal opportunities;

• organisations, associations and local groups, so that they develop and are able to utilise solid technical, professional and methodological skills to deliver inclusive services;

• local and central institutions, so that they may be directly called upon to elaborate and apply the reforms and legislative frameworks that are needed, as well as allocate the funds required to cover these changes;

• universities, pedagogical institutes and training institutions so that they may be capable of consistently offering a high level of education, developing and improving up-to-date and innovative educational and vocational training courses related to inclusive education at different levels;

• direct and potential donors, so that appropriate and up-to-date information is available to them, in order

33 Child Rights Situation Analysis (CRSA) consists of an in-depth analysis of the state of the art in terms of child rights and their possible

violations in a country context and is used as a basis to inform program design.

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to allow for the allocation of project funds to be organised in the most favourable way for the realisation of effective and flexible interventions in respect to the context’s political and social needs.

The specific areas of intervention identified as priorities for Save the Children’s projects are related to different dimensions, which are addressed in an integrated manner in the course of each individual project. Those key dimensions are: access to education, quality of education, reinforcement of communities and civil society and, finally, supporting change in laws, policies and practices. Save the Children has developed, and is continuing to develop, its own approach to the design and implemen-tation of projects in the field of inclusive education. This is made up by a corpus of methodologies, strate-gies and tools, put into use in an integrated way according to the priorities identified in different contexts, in order to strengthen educational inclusion within the dimensions highlighted above.

4.2 Methods and tools to improve access to education

Awareness-raising and information campaigns for parentsThe information and awareness-raising campaigns aimed at parents and families are an essential channel for the dissemination of a culture of rights and of inclusion, directed at guaranteeing access to the mainstream educational system and to services. Parents and families can thus become more aware of their key role in ad-vocating for and ensuring their children’s access to education.

• In Albania, to encourage parents’ active participation in the inclusion process of children with disabilities in school, informative

materials were devised and distributed to be placed in schools and gathering points. These contained key messages on the uni-

versal right to education, the role played by parents in the development of their child and the steps to take for school registration

and access to support services.

• In Kosovo, Save the Children organised two communication campaigns at national level: in 2011, a campaign entitled “Mobilisa-

tion of all for the inclusion of children with disabilities in preschool and primary school”, was organised, while in 2014 a second

campaign entitled “Inclusion is right” was launched. Both campaigns involved authorities, children and parents in the creation of

TV and radio spots broadcasted by the principal national networks.

Information campaigns have had a positive impact on communities, improving families’ general level of infor-mation on children’s rights to receive a truly inclusive education and on opportunities for services and support offered by educational systems.

Establishment of multidisciplinary and local groupsThe creation of technical committees and procedures for teamwork within the educational systems proved es-sential to ensure a satisfactory assessment of children with disabilities and SEN, to evaluate the inclusiveness of schools, to facilitate school enrolment and to develop Individual Education Plans (IEP) tailored to children’s characteristics and needs.

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• In Kosovo, multidisciplinary groups called Project Resource Teams (PRTs) were created. Composed of three officials from local

government departments (health,education and social services), the PRTs work with families and schools to support the assessment

of children with SEN and the monitoring of IEPs. The PRTs have now been incorporated within ministerial strategies, with a formal

request to establish a PRT in each municipality, for the technical evaluation of disabilities and SEN in association with local specialists.

• In Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the application of the Index for Inclusion, School Development Teams were formed in the

various schools involved, to analyse each single school’s inclusiveness. The teams involve, besides teachers and school directors, also

parents, students and community members in a joint process of analysis and assessment.

The establishment of context-specific, multidisciplinary teams allows for the provision of support to schools and families both in access and accommodation of children and in developing IEPs. The multidisciplinary groups working at local level are made up by persons who are deeply rooted in the area, who are familiar with the community and can take on the role of mediator between families and institutions. They can therefore act as a facilitating element in home-school interactions, with the aim of achieving the best possible educational inclusion for students.

Improvement and adaptation of school buildingsWith the aim of making schools and other educational settings accessible and viable for all children, different types of rehabilitative interventions can be planned and carried out, such as the improvement of safety, or the elimination of architectural barriers. The structural improvements have been envisaged also in terms of equip-ment, furnishings, teaching aids and materials.

• In Bosnia and Herzegovina, classrooms have been equipped for the production of didactic materials and learning aids, as

well as for the realisation of curricular and extracurricular activities.

• In Kosovo, extensions or adaptation of buildings and classrooms have been executed, as well as the construction of ramps to

replace or provide an alternative to stairs, adjustment of restrooms, adaptation of classrooms for individual support, general inter-

ventions to make structures safe, acquisition of aids for students with different types of disabilities and provision of furnishings and

didactic materials for teachers and students.

The interventions involving structural adaptations allow for improved implementation of learning activities, helping the teaching staff to put in place truly inclusive and personalised educational paths.

4.3. Methods and tools for quality education

Personnel trainingThe professional competency of the teaching staff, educational personnel, school management and other tech-nical specialists (i.e. psychologists, SEN specialists, pedagogical coordinators, education staff at local institu-tions and ministries) is the key to a successful education process, and they therefore need to be supported and empowered. The provision of training and revision of curricula undertaken by Save the Children has benefited both personnel already employed by scholastic institutions, as well as professionals undergoing training at universities.

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• In Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, ad hoc training routes on IE have been created, through different

types of training modules: workshops, awareness days and conferences, seminars, tutoring and supervision from local or interna-

tional experts and study visits. The topics were selected on the basis of a needs analysis carried out at the school level and on the

kinds of professionals involved (i.e. SEN and child-centred educational methods; IEP; positive management of the class group; best

practices for welcoming and valuing diversity; Index for Inclusion and its application; anti-bias training). The trainings were delivered

with a cascade approach, through the implementation of “Training of Trainers” .

• In Kosovo, aside from direct training courses, revision and improvement of professional training curricula was carried out both

for in-service teacher training and university training for future teachers. In collaboration with the Education Sciences Faculty of

Bologna, specific modules on inclusion of disability in schools have been incorporated in training courses at the Education Faculty

of Pristina, with the aim of conforming the competencies of personnel entering the educational system with a supportive role of

inclusion processes.

Training prepares the ground for the concrete application of innovative teaching methods and for the main-tenance of positive effects over time. Competencies are encouraged to emerge and be consolidated, both in individuals and in the education community, towards a system that is more equitable and has the capacity to elaborate its own sustainable educational model in an autonomous way.

Introduction of new professionalsAside from optimising the technical expertise already present in educational systems, a number of projects have foreseen the introduction of innovative professional figures to facilitate inclusion. These types of figures should in fact provide support to regular teachers in the use of inclusive didactics that sustain the learning ability of individual pupils within the class group.

• In Kosovo, the professional role of “class assistant” was introduced, with supportive tasks directed at pupils and teachers. The

new class assistants - called inclusive teachers/educators - have been hired as permanent staff by local institutions within different

schools and kindergartens included in the programme.

• In Albania, cultural mediators who work in drop-in and gathering centres for street children - for the most part belonging to

Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian minorities - support teachers in successfully accommodating these children in regular classes, facilitat-

ing the management of the class group and the valuing of cultural differences.

Such actions can improve the efficiency and efficacy of inclusion strategies, providing for suitable ways to collaborate with local and central institutions. The sustainability of these innovations is guaranteed thereby making possible, at the end of a project, the incorporation of these professional figures in the system and their support, including financial, by public institutions.

Tools for individualised education planning Individual Education Plans (IEP) represent a way to carry out an effective multidimensional intervention within the school, educational or social context. The pupil’s IEP begins with observation, identifies the prior-ity areas of intervention and defines the educational-didactic path to be taken, linked to rehabilitative and social aspects. It is defined jointly by a team responsible for inclusion (i.e. teachers, social workers, assistants, specialists and school directors) and with the involvement of the pupil’s family.

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• In Albania, the IEP has been introduced into the system for assessing disabilities, SEN and learning difficulties, thanks to the creation

of educational planning teams within schools (IEP teams) and multi-professional evaluation units (made up by a health representative,

a social worker, a child protection representative, an education expert and a psychologist), trained in the methodology.

• In Kosovo, the IEP is part of the methodologies envisaged and accredited by the Ministry of Education. Theoretical and practical

training workshops on the elaboration and monitoring of IEPs have been organised for primary school and preschool class person-

nel. They were led by expert trainers accredited by the Ministry.

The work with IEP allows for an effective modelling of support actions and teaching for pupils placed in regular scholastic paths, contributing to the consolidation of operational practices suited to the creation of in-clusive environments and relationships. It supports per-sonnel from a practical point of view in the definition of specific and measureable learning goals, centred on an improvement of pupils’ abilities and competences, useful to sustaining their autonomy and socialisation.

Self-assessment in the school settingThe Index for Inclusion (IFI) is an innovative resource, to measure the level of inclusion in education systems and single schools (BOX 5). School personnel and au-thorities in the sector are supported in the use of this tool in a participatory manner, reviewing it in relation to the specific context in order to identify the concrete inclusion priorities, starting from the real possibilities and existing practices in the school itself and in the community. The IFI is applied following training ac-tivities for institutional representatives, school heads, teachers, educators, facilitators from local counterparts, technical experts, parents and members of the community.

• In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the projects aimed at improving inclusion, drawn up by the schools involved, have been incor-

porated in the annual policy plans of Una-Sana and Zenica-Doboj Cantons.

• In Kosovo, the IFI has become a valuable pedagogical element, included in professional curricula and in teacher training courses

accredited by the Ministry of Education.

The use of the IFI allows one to experience, often for the first time, the possibility of performing a critical self-assessment of school environments, thus opening up an educational and political reflection on the com-munity’s capacity to organise and govern itself, working for positive change and guaranteeing sustainability for IE interventions, even after completion of the project.

BOX 5 The Index for Inclusion (IFI), published in 2000 by the Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education in the United Kingdom, is an in-ternational reference document for the development of inclusive planning in schools. According to the IFI approach, “including” means progressively reducing obstacles to education for all students, through a school’s self-assessment - with the participation of teaching staff, management, parents and children - with respect to inclusive practices already in place and tho-se that may be possible. The IFI contains templates, divided into sections which comprise indicators focusing on different aspects of school life, or on cross-cutting priority issues (ethnicity, gender, disability). The IFI appro-ach is aimed at eliminating all forms of exclusion, which may arise from disability, SEN or cultural, ethnic, socio-economic or gender differences. Self-assessment allows for the definition of an inclusion goal for the scho-ol, after which the plan for scholastic improvement is prepared, based on the priorities for change that have been identified.

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4.4 Methods and tools for strengthening communities and civil society

ParticipationIn all implemented projects, the direct involvement of beneficiaries and local stakeholders – children, in par-ticular – in processes of design, realisation, monitoring and evaluation of interventions has constantly been highlighted and systematically planned out.

• In Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, participation is promoted in different ways depending on those be-

ing addressed: with children, the methods used are the focus group, data collection, the case study which summarises individual sto-

ries; within communities, with families, schools and associations, consultative meetings can be implemented, as well as workshops,

interviews, focus groups and work groups, the creation of management councils and support groups as well as assembly activities;

with organisations and institutions structured participatory occasions, meetings and consultation roundtables are prepared.

The participatory approach is an important factor in local democracy and the protection of rights, and is also effective in improving the quality of projects through community and institutional activation. It makes it pos-sible to reach a real, shared planning of intervention strategies, creating the conditions for self-determination and change from within, towards inclusive and rights-based approaches. In this way, the education system has a greater chance of maintaining the positive results and innovation achieved over time.

Capacity Building and PartnershipIn the region, Save the Children adopts an approach directed at offering forms of targeted support to its part-ners, in particular representatives of third sector organisations, local public institutions and central authorities, for the development and strengthening of their abilities and competencies. The capacities developed differ according to the needs of the partner in question, but capacity building holds a central place in all projects.

• In Albania, institutions have been supported in defining IE strategies. The Ministry of Education has even requested the con-

tinuation of actions aimed at strengthening public institutions, which help bridge the gap between legislative provisions and their

actual implementation.

• In Kosovo, a project was carried out to reinforce the skills of civil society organisations, in relation to the inclusion of children

with disabilities in mainstream education, which has also provided for the technical training of the local counterpart (Handikos).

Handikos has also benefited from a strategic review process conducted by Italian experts from associations and research centres

located in Emilia Romagna. This experience led to a comprehensive reflection regarding the organisation’s role, capabilities and

longer-term vision.

• In Bosnia and Herzegovina, recent plans aim at transforming existing special institutions/educational centres for children

with severe disabilities into resource centres for IE.

Actions to consolidate skills help make institutions and organisations more competent, confident about their own potentialities, more responsible and capable of enhancing their efficacy in overseeing and ensuring edu-cational processes for all and respect for human rights.

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Working with communitiesTo deal with the multidimensionality and complexity of children’s conditions of risk and vulnerability, Save the Children includes in each project strategies for working with local communities and to raise awareness. These aim to stimulate the promotion of cultural change toward a proactive model of social empowerment, in order to sustain a culture of inclusion extending from the educational setting to the wider community.

• In Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Save the Children works within communities on several levels: (1)

observation, carried out through monitoring activities undertaken by project personnel to identify emerging needs or possible risks

or urgent situations; (2) prevention, ensured through information activities on issues relating to inclusion/exclusion as well as differ-

ent types of disadvantage and need; (3) direct support to children, parents, families and communities, provided through counselling,

training, help and information desks, peer education, and workshop activities; (4) awareness raising, realized through information

initiatives and meetings, which improve the local community’s understanding of persons with disabilities, SEN, minorities, gender

issues and inclusive education; and (5) valuing the school context as a place of community integration, by encouraging joint initia-

tives that are open to participation by all.

Save the Children’s actions contribute to the gradual increase in knowledge, awareness and investment of communities with respect to persons and families living in conditions of vulnerability, and to improving their capacity to welcome and show solidarity. Nevertheless, difficulties, stigma and exclusion mechanisms undoubtedly continue to exist and are often hard to eliminate.

4.5 Supporting changes in laws, policies and practices

Advocacy, campaigning and raising awarenessOur projects ensure the overseeing of key themes and the promotion of compelling actions directed at educa-tional system reform. Information activities are planned for those institutions that play a key role in the crea-tion of education policies, laws, strategies and guidelines (Government, Ministries and Pedagogical Institutes as well as municipal councils). These activities, carried out in collaboration with local partners, also include campaigns to involve public opinion at regional and national levels. Simultaneously, lobbying and mobilisa-tion actions directed at Ministries and authorities in charge have taken place to obtain a greater or better targeted allocation of funds towards inclusive education interventions.

• In Albania, a national awareness-raising strategy on children with disabilities’ right to education was developed in 2013, following

a consultation with over 55 representatives from civil society organisations and regional educational authorities. The awareness

plan’s completion was accompanied by a spot, entitled “Yes to inclusion”, broadcasted by the main national TV networks.

• In Bosnia and Herzegovina, following the implementation of the IFI in the Republika Srpska, some of the municipalities

have been given support in their review of municipal development plans to improve inclusion policies. They included within their

own annual strategies the improvement plans devised by the schools using the IFI, consequently adjusting the budget to be able to

cover the costs of these improvements.

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Advocacy, campaigning and awareness-raising activities have an impact on improving legislation and practices for protecting rights and promoting inclusive education. Lobbying actions have a positive effect on institutions’ readiness to take on responsibilities and on their ability to improve their skills for resources management and al-location, prioritising funding devoted to inclusion policies. These actions, combined with the evolution of these countries toward an increasingly rights-based way of thinking and acting, support the outset of positive reflection mechanisms, which can lead to a real change in approach to education.

4.6 Challenges and resources for change

While carrying out programmes, some critical elements that were more or less foreseeable and controllable in advance, linked to the country context, became apparent. These did have an impact on the projects and required teams working in the field to increase their efforts, in order to reach preset objectives. Among the obstacles which turned out to be of a critical nature and/or are still to be focused on in programmes, are:

• Unstable conditions in the countries, from a political and economic viewpoint: the succession of differ-ent administrations and the changes, often quite sudden, tied to political issues outside the control of pro-gramme activities, can make it difficult to establish virtuous mechanisms to guarantee sustainability, with the risk of fragmentation and a general lack of soundness of interventions in the long term.

• The difficult eradication of stigma in communities: despite the cultural changes that have objectively taken place over time, in certain areas the situation remains challenging, as people are often reluctant to discard exclusive educational practices. This phenomenon is also linked to local governments’ difficulties to carry out concrete actions directed at influencing the approach to such practices.

• Difficulties in working with families: families often emerge as more challenging actors to a systematic intervention towards inclusion, if compared with schools which tend to be a more structured environment and more open to embarking on transformative processes based on defined pedagogical models. When re-sistance from families occurs, it is essential that local project partners and national Save the Children staff be involved, to ensure that there is a concrete and effective connection with children’s families. In the event that such action at community level is relatively weak, the insufficient collaboration of families may represent a critical element within projects.

• Lack of or inadequacy of public funding, which makes it difficult to ensure the necessary economic re-sources to introduce new professional figures, improve the contractual conditions of educational and school personnel, motivate teachers to undertake sufficient training or employ sector specialists in a structured manner. Adding to difficulties in the allocation of resources is the possible frustration and loss of motivation on the part of schools and personnel when complications of any kind arise (administrative, relations within the community, of an economic nature, relating to infrastructure, about supervision, etc.). Frustration and lack of motivation may lead to a failure to achieve preset goals. Here lies the potential risk of a closure and the gradual abandonment of the best practices experienced within schools.

Notwithstanding the critical elements encountered during the development of projects, Save the Children’s actions in the Balkans were able to keep up the flexibility needed and develop resources for change which enabled the organisation to regulate interventions, adapting them and making them more effective over time.

The projects have evolved into integrated and diversified programmes, according to the needs and aspira-tions emerging in the country-systems where operations were carried out. In relation to typology, actions

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witnessed an ever greater degree of structuring: there was a shift from the initial set up of pilot projects on IE, focused on a single municipality or at times single schools/classes, to the integration of different sectors and to the consolidation of pilot experiences with interventions acting simultaneously on several levels, both in thematic and geographic terms.

Recognising the importance and added value of long-term programming, since 2011 Save the Children has invested in three-year programmes (financed by institutional and private donors), which have broadened the planning’s horizon, providing the means to ensure a coherent and integrated methodological approach over time.

Another axis of change has been toward multidimensional programmes with actions taking place on a num-ber of different levels, from direct work with beneficiaries, to establishing relations and collaborating with lo-cal and central government institutions to promote structural and systemic changes, leading also on to actions involving training, awareness raising and capacity building. Close cooperation with local institutions was initiated, thereby making possible, in some cases, a substantial “leap”: the institutions themselves, on the basis of positive results achieved in pilot projects, expressed the opinion that actions on a wider scale were needed, by for example extending the IE experiences to other areas in the country.

Through its networking-oriented programmatic work, Save the Children contributed to the creation and strengthening of stakeholder networks involved in its activities. Starting off with the first pilot projects, partnership strategies were launched, in which participation, sharing and the pooling together of resources form the basis for IE work. Progressively “nurtured” and strengthened, local project partners have become aware of their skills and potential and have become capable, over time, of actively steering programmes. They started contributing to the identification of priorities, the modification of project elements that may no longer be effective or pertinent, the planning of innovative activities targeted to the region and its population, and the enlargement of projects through research and location of supplementary funding sources.

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An impact on reforms, both of regulatory frameworks as well as policies in this sector was made possible thanks to the support provided to institutional partners. During project implementation additional actions were also being reinforced, such as those concerning integrated welfare provisions and inter-sectoral coop-eration initiatives. These efforts stimulated a wider reflection process from side of different actors, regarding ways to improve the whole system of provisions for the most vulnerable children and families, by including in that transformation not only education but also other basic services (e.g. registry services, health and social services, career and employment services). This approach entails a close collaboration and awareness-raising work with local civil society as well as with representatives of government authorities and institutions, aimed at promoting a change in orientation that goes beyond the school level.

Inclusive education has also proven to be a sector in which it is currently possible to form fruitful collabo-rations with Italy, thanks to the geographic proximity and the existence of cooperation and partnership agreements between Save the Children and Italian entities of excellence in the educational and social spheres: higher education institutions and universities, such as the University of Bologna; local authorities such as Forlì municipality and the Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia; civil society organisations, such as the Friuli Regional Disability Council (Consulta Regionale Disabili); and non-profits and social cooperatives, like the Nazareno social cooperative of Carpi. Collaboration and exchange activities with Italian entities (study visits, workshops, seminars, informative and orientation meetings and supervision) have, on the one hand, allowed for an in-depth look at the themes addressed during training through a direct experience of the educational contexts in which inclusion is daily practiced. On the other hand, they have opened the way to fruitful col-laborations, lasting beyond the completion of projects and contributing to the sustainability of IE actions. For example, following a collaboration established through the support of Save the Children in Kosovo, the Universities of Pristina and Bologna worked together on the development of a TEMPUS project proposal, which will promote teacher and student exchanges in the education sector, aimed at defining Masters Degrees in strategic sectors for the Ministry of Education.

From a methodological point of view, one can conclude that the work in inclusive education carried out by Save the Children in the Balkans aimed to strengthen an innovative programmatic model for educational de-velopment cooperation, with particular reference to internationally shared theoretical approaches and guide-lines and attention to the specifics of each context, as outlined by local counterparts.

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Success stories: Alexandra, 14 years old, lives with her grandmother in Vlora, Albania. As a child she was diagnosed with an intellectual disability and she is currently attending school, where she has been benefiting since four years from the support activities of Save the Children. Alexandra’s dream was to be able to go to school and live just like others. Thanks to the support given to Alexandra, as well as her grandmother, teachers and the school community, the girl has been encouraged and stimulated. As a result of the Individual Education Plan, Alexandra benefited from a significant and rapid language development and was able to considerably im-prove her learning, self-sufficiency and social skills. Today, Alexandra can read, write, count and carry out simple mathematical exercises. She has artistic talents, particularly in drawing and music. And, above all, she is more confident in her own abilities, takes part in all class activities and is happy to be together with her classmates. She loves to dance and would like to be a dancer one day. Her grandmother is aware of the vast transforma-tion her granddaughter has gone through: “Alexandra means everything to me and I am satisfied with the results

she has managed to achieve. I am optimistic now, and think she will continue to improve and I hope that she may lead

an independent life in the future”.

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5. STRENGTHENING INCLUSION: POSITIVE TRANSFORMATIONS“We are pleased because the school finally decided to ask children what they think”(One of the children focus group participants in Zenica-Doboj Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina)

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Working for change, in inclusive education, entails carrying out facilitation and support actions from an inclusive standpoint, benefiting all children and allowing the transformations achieved to be sustainable. Pro-jects results in the Balkans have brought to light over time the positive effects of interventions undertaken from a multidimensional perspective. Such interventions ensure the empowerment and transformation of education systems from within and foresee an integration between the dimensions of access and quality of education, strengthening communities and civil society and revising laws, policies and practices, in order to achieve effective and long-term results. For each of these dimensions some indicative examples of success34 are outlined, illustrating how Save the Children’s projects have supported and facilitated processes of change from an inclusive perspective, with the understanding that implemented interventions have been integrating all of the dimensions described.

Access to education

• In Albania, within a project directed at facilitating school inclusion for children at risk and who are living on the street in Tirana, belonging principally to the Roma minority, in 2014, 47 children who had either never attended school or had dropped out were supported with preparatory classes. Thirty of them will be enrolled in regular classes in the coming school year.

Once again in Albania, in the course of a project aimed at promoting inclusion of children with disabilities in 12 kindergarten and primary schools in three regions, 125 children with disabilities and learning dif-ficulties were registered and regularly attended public schools. Thanks to the training provided to school personnel, 87 of these children are now given support through Individual Education Plans and their progress is being monitored continuously by specialised inclusion teams within REAs (Regional Education Authorities). The follow-up on the scholastic progress of children accepted into regular classes demonstrates that the route taken by schools has been a positive one: 75% of the children have shown positive interactions with classmates and parents have confirmed their active participation in school. The families themselves have been sensitised and involved: around 1,200 parents of children with and without disabilities have taken part in information sessions on issues such as the rights of children with disabilities and inclusive education methods and practices.

• In Kosovo, in a project aimed at guaranteeing access to quality preschool and primary education for children with disabilities, integrated activities were carried out in 17 schools in eight municipalities. These activities were directed at enhancing awareness of the right to education and to a full social life for children with dis-abilities, bolstering the demand and supply of services and ensuring inclusive learning environments, both from the structural point of view as well as from that of personnel’s professional skills. Awareness-raising, training and networking interventions targeting professionals, families, communities and local authorities, had positive effects on access to schools with the enrolment of 149 new children with disabilities in regular classes. At the same time, the support provided to 506 children with SEN by class assistants as well as physi-cal rehabilitation and non-formal education provided to another 357 children through to the project’s counterpart, Handikos, contributed to the overall wellbeing and development of the children included in the action.

34 The data presented in this section are extracted from project reports.

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Quality of education

• In Kosovo, between 2011 and 2014, 16 new inclusive teachers/educators (also called class assistants) were selected and trained. These persons facilitate the access of pupils with disabilities to regular classes and follow through on aspects involving their inclusion, providing support to teaching personnel. The inclusive teachers/educators have been placed and employed as permanent staff members in eight municipalities. A further 500 teachers have been trained (the entire teaching staff of targeted schools and kindergartens) as well as 397 municipal representatives of the health, social services and education sectors who are part of a multi-sectoral team capable of monitoring progress made by children with disabilities included in schools. To ensure the highest quality possible for personnel training courses the project set up a collaboration be-tween the Universities of Bologna and Pristina, which has helped improve teaching practices, introduce IE-related contents into the standard curriculum for teachers’ training and plan for a Masters in inclusive education.

• In Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the setting of a project to introduce and promote education for all in seven municipalities in Republika Srpska, the quality of education was enhanced thanks to combined interven-tions of training, information and awareness raising about inclusive methodologies and the IFI. The actions helped create 56 school development teams, in as many schools. With the objective of making schools more inclusive, the teams developed 56 school improvement projects according to the IFI methodology. All projects, submitted to the Ministry of Education, were approved and the schools have received funding for the implementation of improvement plans.

• In Albania, in five public schools in Tirana, school acceptance of and learning assistance to children belonging to Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian minorities improved in 2014 thanks to the support provided by regular visits from social workers and their collaboration with schools’ psychologists. Twenty teachers also participated in training sessions specifically dealing with inclusive methodologies and the valuing of cultural diversity. 88% of the 251 children who benefited from the intervention have successfully completed the school year.

Strengthening of communities and civil society

• In Kosovo, Save the Children has strengthened over time its collaboration with its local partner, Handikos, an organisation of persons with disabilities which carries out community-based rehabilitation work (CBR) at centres spread out throughout Kosovo’s main municipalities. Being a reference point in the realisation of inclusive activities, Handikos has been supported through capacity building actions, in order to strengthen its competencies. Currently, the organisation is able to autonomously implement targeted interventions to support children, families, schools and communities, while also pursuing a dialogue with local institutions. For example, during 2014, 357 children with disabilities benefited from supportive actions carried out by Handikos personnel in CBR Centres, in eight municipalities.

• In Albania, the creation of a national sensitisation strategy on disability was made possible through sup-port from the Regional Disability Council (Consulta Regionale Disabili) of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and the active participation of the local counterpart, MEDPAK, an organisation of persons with disabilities which carries out support and rehabilitation work. The key for success behind this strategy has been the involvement of a wide network: aside from the counterpart, which had a coordination role, and the Dis-ability Council, which allowed the sharing of good sensitisation practices put into effect in Italy, over 55 representatives of civil society organisations and Regional Educational Authorities (REA) were involved. They participated in a consultative workshop to discuss the means to be employed in spreading messages

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about the right of children with disabilities to education (contents of the messages, involvement of parents and families and institutions that need raise their awareness and take on responsibilities).

Supporting change in laws, policies and practices

• In Albania, support was given to the drafting of a proposal for secondary regulation aimed at the inter-pretation of specific articles of the Law on pre-university education and making the use of inclusive practices in mainstream schools obligatory. The regulation and related Guidelines, which were both approved and came into force in 2013, determine the roles and responsibilities of the network of institutions and experts that are concerned with inclusive education for children with disabilities. They list a series of rules to be followed so that training institutes and REAs will guarantee inclusion of children with disabilities in regular school courses and define the role of parents and communities in the inclusion process. The drafting process saw the participation of 50 representatives of REAs, national NGOs and the Inclusive Education Unit of the Ministry of Education.

• In Bosnia and Herzegovina, within a project for the introduction and promotion of education for all in Republika Srpska, the Ministry of Education recognised that the educational system had benefited from the projects carried out by the school development teams thanks to the application of the IFI in schools. Therefore, since 2012/2013, the Ministry has made mandatory the incorporation of these scholastic improvement plans in schools’ annual planning in Republika Srpska.

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CONCLUSIONS

“Proposed goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all”(Post-2015 Goal proposed by the Education For All Steering Committee to the Open Working Group on

Sustainable Development Goals)

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In light of the body of experiences consolidated over the course of programme interventions conducted in the Balkans and outlined herein, Save the Children proposes some lessons learned and best practices, relating to macro-areas believed to be of particular importance. They intend to serve as guidelines for institutions, or-ganisations and key actors - both national and international - invested in different ways with the responsibility of ensuring educational and social inclusion.

Holistic approach

To define and carry out programmes and projects in the field of IE it is vital to focus on a holistic, “bio-psycho-social” and integrated approach, looking at the harmonious development of the child as a person and future adult, able to achieve his/her “life project”. This involves the need to work in a multi-sectoral way, with the aim of creating a truly enabling framework.

Maintaining this holistic approach in programmes allows for:

• analysing needs in a global way and looking at the overall wellbeing of the child;

• structuring integrated actions which have an impact on all areas of child development (physical develop-ment, learning, emotions, family relationships, social interaction and autonomy) and, at the same time, on all contexts of daily life (school, family, social groups, movement, relation with the wider community);

• identifying environmental barriers (physical, relational, social, technical, political and economic), which may affect and hinder development, and therefore need to be removed.

Creation of partnerships

Partnerships, participation fostering and network activities must be valued as the primary intervention blue-print, at all levels - from institutions to civil society - and throughout all project phases, crucial to contribute to cultural change. Steady exchange between partners enhances the network’s capacity for reflection, self as-sessment and questioning of paradigms that do not guarantee the inclusion and the protection of rights, thus ensuring the sustainability of interventions in the long term.

Including a specific partnership strategy in programme design and implementation allows for:

• making partners truly active, not only for the purposes of consultation, but also and above all, for a concrete participation in the definition of priority actions, in the choice of the most pertinent ways of working in specific contexts and in the direct implementation in the field;

• working according to a networking approach, creating synergies and a virtuous cycle that help optimise the resources and skills available to inclusive processes;

• sustaining the IE vision as the responsibility of all stakeholders, each of whom is called upon to carry out its tasks toward a common goal, according to its particular role and specific area of activity;

• structuring and maximising the opportunities among stakeholders to meet, exchange views and coordinate, and turning them into a shared and solid practice.

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Excellence and innovationIn order to guide project design, it is essential to employ innovative methods and tools that are in line with the theoretical and methodological approaches, recognised and validated at an international level, and which also take into consideration the most advanced research and sector studies. Excellence and innovation are particu-larly relevant to IE: being a steadily evolving theme, IE requires experimentation, action-research, creativity and the capacity to expand the emerging knowledge to wider spheres and contexts.

Planning from a perspective of excellence and innovation allows for:

• ensuring the quality of interventions, activating and strengthening collaborations between academia, re-search institutes and civil society organisations;

• guaranteeing the capacity development of key actors at all levels, by supporting training and self-learning processes, on the basis of a continual improvement rationale;

• developing programmes to reinforce inclusive practices that are at the same time context-specific and based on solid pedagogical guidelines;

• feeding into the international debate and contributing to the consolidation of a theoretical and methodo-logical body of knowledge regarding IE, thanks to the sharing of best practices.

In light of the experiences presented and the dimensions of quality interventions considered fundamen-tal in the field of inclusive education, Save the Children recommends:

To international donors, that the issue of inclusive education be considered a priority among the areas of intervention for international cooperation and that appropriate long-term funding schemes be provided, to guarantee lasting changes.

To local governments, that they promote concrete, measurable, replicable and sustainable actions to apply legislation and action plans, which ensure the identification, inclusion and adequate support of children with special educational needs within fully inclusive educational paths.

To local associations and civil society organisations, that they become promoters of a holistic approach and invest in network activities, providing structured ways of sharing best practices and opportunities for meeting, exchanging and discussing on national and international levels, with the aim of contributing to inform and foster the global debate on inclusive education.

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BIBLIOGRAPHYBe´cirevi´c , M, Dowling, M., Parent’s participation in the social inclusion of children with disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. The Open Society Foundation, London, 2012

Bokuli, S., Kostadinova G., Pushing for Change? South East Europe’s Minorities in the EU Progress Reports, Minority Rights Group International, London, 2008

Booth, T., Ainscow, M., Index for Inclusion. Developing learning and participation in schools, Bristol, CSIE Centre for Studies in inclusive education, 2002

European Commission, The Institute of Economics, Zagreb, Social Protection and Social Inclusion in the Western Balkans. A synthesis report, Zagreb, 2009

Government of Albania, The decade of Roma Inclusion. National Action Plan 2010-2015, Tirana, 2011

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Government of Kosovo, Strategy for Development of Higher Education in Kosovo (2005-2015), Pristina, 2005 Government of Kosovo, Strategy for Development of Pre-University Education in Kosovo (2007-2017), Pristina, 2007

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Istituto degli Innocenti, UNICEF, Innocenti Insight. Children and disability in transition states in CEE/CIS and Baltic States, UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Firenze, 2002

Italian coalition of the Global Campaign for Education (CGE-IT), Che nessuno resti indietro! L’educazione inclusiva come pre-condizione per un’educazione di qualità per tutti, CGE-IT, Arezzo, 2014

Jorgensen, C. M., McSheehan, M., Sonnenmeier, R. P., Essential Best Practices in Inclusive Schools, Institute on Disability, University of New Hampshire, Durham, 2009

OSCE, Institution of Human Rights Ombudsman of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Special report on the status of Roma in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Banja Luka, 2009

Panti, N., Closs, A., Ivoševi, V., Teachers for the future. Teacher development for inclusive education in the Western Balkans, European Training Foundation ETF, Luxembourg, 2011

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Save the Children, Avramovi, M., When we are asked, not questioned. Consultations with Children on the move, Save the Children, Sarajevo, 2014

Szadejko, K., Strati, E., Zini, S., Report finale. Save The Children for Handikos, Prishtina, 2014

Thorup, C. L., What Works in Building Tolerance Among Balkan Children and Youth, International Youth Foundation/Balkan Children and Youth Foundation, Baltimore, 2003

UNESCO, Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education, Salamanca, 1994

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UNESCO, Teaching and Learning, Achieving quality for all, Paris, 2014

UNESCO Institute of statistics, Children out of school: measuring exclusion from primary education, Montreal, 2005

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Web resources

Organisations

CSIE - Centre for Studies in inclusive education: http://www.csie.org.ukEFA - Education For All: http://www.unesco.org/education/efa/wef_2000/GCE - Global Campaign for Education: http://www.campaignforeducation.org/en/campaigns/education-post-2015CGE-IT Coalizione italiana della Campagna Globale per l’Educazione: www.cge-italia.orgOWG - Open Working Group on Sustainable Development: http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/focussdgs.html Save the Children International: www.savethechildren.net Save the Children Italia: www.savethechildren.it Save the Children resource centre: http://resourcecentre.savethechildren.seUNESCO: http://www.unesco.org/UNICEF: www.unicef.org WORLD BANK: http://www.worldbank.org

Country institutions

Albanian Government: http://www.kryeministria.al/enAlbanian National Institute of Statistics INSTAT: http://www.instat.gov.alKosovo Government: https://www.rks-gov.net/en-US/Pages/Fillimi.aspxKosovo Agency of Statistics: https://ask.rks-gov.net/engKosovo Ministry of Education, Science and Technology: www.masht-gov.net/Government of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: http://fbihvlada.gov.ba/english/index.phpGovernment of Republika Srpska: http://www.vladars.net/eng/Pages/default.aspxStatistical Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina: http://www.bhas.ba/index.php?lang=enStatistical Agency of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: http://www.fzs.ba/Eng/index.htmStatistical Agency of Republika Srpska: http://www.rzs.rs.ba

LEARNING TOGETHERPROGRAMMATIC APPROACHES, METHODOLOGIES AND BEST PRATICES

FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN THE BALKANS

Save the Children is the world’s leading independent organisation for children. Since 1919 it is dedicated to save children who are in danger and to promote their rights, immediately and anywhere, with courage and passion, in an effective and competent way.It works in 119 countries to guarantee health, protection, education, economic development and food security to all children, and promote their participation. In addition, it responds to emergencies caused by conflicts or natural disasters.

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