Presentation made by the Montenegro Ministry of Education at the UNICEF Executive Committee meeting in NY, February 2013

1. Inclusive Education
for Children with Disabilities in Montenegro
Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities in CEE/CIS
New York, February 2013

2. Pre-reform bottlenecks in inclusion of
children with disability
• Situation in 2002:
→Outdated education system
→Lack of inclusive classrooms and services for
children with disabilities (e.g. day care centres for
children with disabilities)
→Stigma against children with disabilities (CwD)
Sector reform
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3. Inclusive education today
• The Constitution guarantees the right to education under equal conditions
• Law on education of children with
special educational needs (SEN)
harmonized with European
legislation and the Resolution of the
Council and the Ministers for
Education of 31 May 1990
• Education for all children
• Children with special educational
needs: children with disabilities
(CwD), learning difficulties and
disadvantages
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4. Principles of inclusive education
Child stays
with his/her
family
Children
exceptionally Individual
referred to Inclusive development -
resource centers principles educational
(former special program
schools)
Parents as
partners
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5. Inclusive Education for children with disabilities in
Montenegro
→ Inclusion into regular classes as first
choice
→ Special classes in regular schools with
joint teaching and activities in some
subjects with peers in regular classes
→ Resource centre only if in the child’s
best interest
• Day care centres (for children with
moderate, severe and combined
disabilities)
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6. Inclusive Education for
children with disabilities
in Montenegro
• Commissions for orientation of
children with special educational
needs at the local level
• Individual Development
Educational Plan (IDEP)
• Teaching assistants
• Mobile teams to support regular
schools
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7. Orientation of children with special
educational needs
Increase in the number of children with special educational needs (SEN)
with commissions' decisions/referrals
1200
1109
1000
960
800
654
600
400
247
200
0
2009 2010 2011 2012 - Dec
7

8. Resource centres
Resource centre: Decrease in the number of children with
disabilities (CwD) in special educational
institutions
• Provides education if in 500
the child’s best interest; 450 443
400 405
• Provides expert and 350
advisory support on a
300
specific disability to other
257 Number of CWD in
250
educational institutions; special educational
institutions
200
• Trains teachers who 150
educate children with 100
special educational needs. 50
0
2005/06 2008/09 2011/12
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9. It’s about ability campaign - Montenegro’s Behaviour Change Campaign
Promoting Inclusion of Children with Disability
Campaign objective:
Increase awareness of Montenegro’s general public on the rights of children with disabilities
and stimulate inclusive attitudes and practices towards children with disabilities in the society