“Armenian Caritas” BNGO, “Caritas Georgia” and “Caritas Germany” organized an online conference “Supporting inclusive education in schools” in the frame of the project “Inclusive and equitable quality education for all” funded by German Federal Ministry for economic cooperation and development through Caritas Germany. The conference took place on July 23, 2020.
The aim of the conference is to contribute to the positive development of inclusive education in Armenia and Georgia. Therefore, the conference brought together international and local experts, stakeholders and actors involved in the field to discuss the advantages and challenges of the inclusive education, share best practices and discuss adaptability in local settings.
Representatives of Ministries of Labor and Social Affairs, Education, Science, Culture and Sport, local self-government bodies, staffs of Armenian Caritas and Caritas Georgia, school headmasters and representatives of NGOs involved in inclusive education and local experts participated in the conference-about 100 participants.
Topics of the conference:
- Developing Inclusive culture in schools
- Classroom behavior management
- Assistants in Inclusive Education
- Support for Diversity in Inclusive Schools. Potentials and Ambivalences of school-based support structures and roles
Keynote speakers:
Dr. Gerald Klenk: Chairman and founder of the organisation “Lernwerkstatt Inklusion”, a German organisation which provides teacher´s training for inclusive teaching. He has many years of working experience as a teacher and school principle in primary and secondary schools.
Mag.a Petra Flieger: Social scientist from Austria. Additionally, special education teacher by profession. She has several years of working experience as an advocate and consultant for inclusive education in Armenia.
Prof. Barry S Parsonson PhD: Psychologist from New Zeeland. He did researches on evidence-based classroom behaviour management strategies. As a consultant psychologist he has been working in Georgia for many years.
Prof. Andreas Köpfer PhD: German researcher in the field of Inclusive Education with focus on international perspectives. Assistant Professor of Inclusive Education and Learning at the University of Freiburg, Germany.
The conference was held in 3 languages: Armenian, Georgian and English.
After the plenary session and the main presentations prepared by the keynote speakers participants had a possibility to ask relevant questions to the experts of inclusive education and took part in small group discussions.
