Specialised school equipment donated for support of children with disabilities

650 children with disabilities included into education system in USC will benefit from specialised computer equipment donated to their schools and pre-school education institutions for support and improvement of education program for students with disabilities. The equipment was handed over on April 24 in the premises of the Primary school “Gornje Prekounje-Ripač“.

Project “Strengthening Social Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Una-Sana Canton” is being implemented since August 2014. As a part of the project, 340 teachers and other employees from the education sector participated in additional training programs in relation to the work with children with disabilities, including introduction and use of specialised computer equipment in the education process in regular schools and special classrooms. In addition, 18 sets of computer equipment (so-called assistive technologies) were purchased for 18 primary and high schools and pre-school education institutions in USC.

Besides training of education personnel, a strategy for inclusion of children with disabilities into education system in USC and accompanying seven-year implementation plan are being developed. After conducting comprehensive field research and series of meetings with representatives of key government and education institutions, parents’ associations and similar, in eight municipalities of Una-Sana Canton (Bihac, Cazin, Buzim, Bosanski Petrovac, Bosanska Krupa, Velika Kladusa, Sanski Most and Kljuc), public consultations were held where all stakeholders actively participated and gave their full contribution to the development of these documents.

“Save the Children invest its efforts to ensure that every child realizes his or hers right to quality and inclusive education and fulfils his or hers full potential. I especially want to emphasize importance of inclusion of children with disabilities into the regular education processes, as well as adjustment of education system to their needs and abilities. We have found a true partner in the Ministry of Education of USC and we are very pleased with their dedication to quality and inclusive education for all children,” said Save the Children Director Andrea Zeravcic.

“Ministry of Education cooperates with organisation Save the Children for several years now. This is the first project that treats the issue of children with disabilities comprehensively. We are especially pleased with the fact that education professionals had additional trainings for work with children with disabilities and that we got opportunity to equip the schools with innovative technologies that alleviate education process for children with disabilities,” stressed USC Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport AdisMuharemović.

A Memorandum of Understanding between Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport and Save the Children on continuation of the project “Strengthening Social Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Una-Sana Canton” will be signed during the May.