"Learning Together!" - national campaign to raise awareness and promote inclusive education

The Ministry of Education and Research and UNICEF Moldova are launching the national campaign "Learning Together", to promote inclusive education and its importance for children with disabilities and special educational needs.   

The "Learning Together!" campaign will bring to the fore the stories of children with special educational needs, who have been integrated or are in the process of being integrated into schools with the help of parents, classmates, teachers, support staff, and other people in the community. As part of the campaign, various information materials and awareness raising events will be also organized in educational institutions across the country during the "Inclusion Month”. Students and teachers will discuss the importance of access to education for all children, including those with special educational needs. In parallel, a drawing contest and  essay contest will be launched, where children will have the opportunity to describe how they see inclusion, starting with the phrase "Learning together!”. The best materials will be promoted and awarded.  

At the same time, the subject of inclusion will be discussed in 15 public events that will be organized in different districts of the country and will bring together representatives of the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC), UNICEF, local public authorities, and institutions responsible for inclusion at the local level, the Republican Centre for Psycho-Pedagogical Assistance, and local or national NGOs that are related to this topic.   

"It is our duty, all of us, to ensure access for all children, including those with special educational needs, to educational institutions in our country." Efforts have been made in this regard in recent years, but we still have a lot of work to do on the inclusion of children with severe disabilities and children with SEN in kindergartens. This year, the Ministry will equip educational institutions with assistive devices, will provide training to teachers, and will review the funding formula in an attempt to improve the situation in the field of inclusive education," said Dan Perciun, Minister of Education and Research.  

„Inclusion benefits all students, not just the ones with special needs. Fostering inclusivity and diversity in schools cultivates a culture of empathy and understanding in school. As they interact with peers from diverse backgrounds, students develop empathy, compassion, and respect for others' perspectives and experiences. These interpersonal skills are invaluable in fostering meaningful relationships, promoting social cohesion, and navigating the complexities of the modern world" said Maha Damaj, UNICEF Representative in the Republic of Moldova.  

The "Learning Together" campaign aims at raising the awareness of every child's right to have access to education, and at changing society's attitude towards children with disabilities and special educational needs. Only one in three adults would accept now the presence of children with disabilities in the same class as their child, according to data from the Study of Equality Perceptions and Attitudes in the Republic of Moldova. At the same time, in the Focus Groups conducted by CBS AXA, children with disabilities and special educational needs reported being ignored, stigmatized, and not fully enjoying their right to education, while parents of typical children mention that their children's education will suffer if a child with disabilities is in the classroom with them. 

According to data of the Republican Center for Psycho-Pedagogical Assistance, in 2022, out of the total number of 460,835 children enrolled in kindergartens and schools in the Republic of Moldova - 11,766 are children with special educational needs. At the same time, out of 10,628 children with disabilities, only 5,753 are included in preschool and school institutions.  

The "Learning Together" campaign is launched to support the 2023-2027 Program for Inclusive Education Development in the Republic of Moldova.