site.btaThree Ministries Pool Efforts for Inclusive Education of Special-Needs Children

Three ministries - of Labour and Social Policy, of Education and Science and of Health - signed Friday an agreement to cooperate in providing support for the personal development of children and students with special education needs and chronic diseases, the Labour Ministry said. As a result of the agreement, over 24,000 children and pupils will have access to integrated support, said Education Minister Galin Tsokov. 

Tsokov signd the agreement together with Minister of Labour and Social Policy Ivanka Shalapatova and of Health Hristo Hinkov.

"We need to continue to develop not only our practices and ways of supporting these children and their families, but also to improve cooperation between the three most important systems for human well-being: health care, education and social support and protection,"  Shalapatova said. She pointed out that the proposed 2024 budget provides for a 26.5% increase in funding for integrated social services. "Our analysis shows that services for children with special needs should be opened in 27 municipalities next year," she added.  

The Education Minister stressed that quality education puts the well-being of children and pupils first, and holistic support from educational, health and social institutions is key to ensuring this.

He said the agreement is linked to a tool developed under an Education Ministry programme titled "Support for Inclusive Education" and implemented under the EU-backed Operational Programme Science and Education for Smart Growth. As part of this programme, a functional assessment map of the individual needs of special-needs children has been created. It will allow early detection of developmental issues, timely adjustments in the education process and the most appropriate additional support for personal development, in line with the child's needs. 

The signing of the agreement introduces an inter-sectoral approach in the implementation of the functional assessment Map at the level of 28 districts by trained specialists from the regional centres for support of the inclusive education process, regional health inspectorates and social assistance directorates. Based on this agreement, the regional structures of the three ministries will interact in the functional assessment of the individual needs of special-needs children.