Mobile Inclusion Teams: Direct Psychopedagogical Support in Rural Schools
Children with special educational needs in small rural schools will be able to benefit from specialized support delivered directly within their learning institutions. The support will be provided by Mobile Teams, an initiative launched by the Ministry of Education and Research in partnership with the Republican Centre for Psychopedagogical Assistance and UNICEF. The initiative is currently being piloted in the districts of Drochia, Soroca, and Cahul until 31 December 2025.
Each mobile team includes a psychologist, a psychopedagogue, and a speech therapist, and, when needed, a teacher. The teams are also equipped with sets of educational and sports materials, as well as games. Their activities take place within Inclusive Education Resource Centres in schools or in other specially designated spaces provided by school management. Following the pilot phase, the model is expected to be scaled up nationwide.
“Mobile teams will bring psychopedagogical support services closer to children who need them, giving them the opportunity to learn, develop harmoniously, and realize their unique potential—at their own pace and within their own context. Through the work of these teams, the Ministry of Education and Research aims to ensure equitable access to quality education for all children,” said Inga Grosu, Principal Consultant at the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova.
Specialists will visit schools according to a predefined schedule, providing children with special educational needs with psychological, psychopedagogical, and speech therapy support. At the same time, the teams will offer parents counselling and guidance on their child’s development and inclusion, and provide teachers with methodological support to strengthen the learning outcomes of students receiving support services.
“Inclusive education means more than a child’s physical presence in the classroom—it means easy access to education. That is why support services are essential for students with special educational needs and their parents. Through mobile teams, we will provide specialized support directly on site, so that children in small rural schools are not required to wait or travel long distances to receive the help they need. We believe that every early intervention can change the course of a child’s life and bring benefits to the entire community,” said Virginia Rusnac, Director of the Republican Centre for Psychopedagogical Assistance.
The services will contribute to promoting inclusion, supporting children with learning difficulties, preventing school dropout, and providing crisis interventions in cases of violence or psychological trauma. The services may be requested by educational institutions, parents, local authorities, social service providers, healthcare institutions, and other organizations working in the fields of child protection and education.
“Mobile teams play a decisive role in preventing educational and social exclusion by enabling the early identification of developmental and learning difficulties and by serving as a vital link between the child, family, school, and community. They facilitate collaboration among all stakeholders involved in a child’s education and ensure continuity of services regardless of geographic location or locally available resources. UNICEF supports the establishment and strengthening of these services as part of its broader, multidimensional assistance to the Ministry of Education and Research in promoting quality inclusive education. This support focuses not only on expanding the coverage of psychopedagogical services, but also on building professional capacity, developing the regulatory framework, and promoting evidence-based practices that respond to the real needs of children and their families,” said Galina Bulat, Education Programme Coordinator at UNICEF Moldova.
The initiative is part of the programme “Advancing Quality Education and Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All,” implemented by UNICEF and UNDP, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova, with financial support from the European Union.
Media contacts
About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.
For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org
Follow UNICEF on Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook
