Today at 15:41
Photo Mykhailo Markiv
President Petro Poroshenko thanked the large community of enthusiasts – volunteers who joined the work of the Maryna Poroshenko on inclusive education.
“Inclusion is not only for children with special needs. Inclusion is not only for their families, parents. Inclusion is for all of us, citizens of Ukraine, for our state. This shows whether the nation passes the test for Europeanism. This is one of those reforms that change not a separate sector of the economy or public administration. This is part of the most important and I must say the most complicated, but at the same time the most necessary reform, because we are transforming and changing Ukrainian society itself,” Poroshenko said during the session of the All-Ukrainian Council on Inclusive Education according to his Press Office.
Poroshenko stressed that the beginning of those changes took place during the Revolution of Dignity: “And one of the characteristics of dignity is the attitude towards people with special needs.”
Speaking about the need for unity in Ukraine, especially considering the war that has been going since 2014 in the east of the country, Poroshenko explains how education can help foster that feeling of unity for all.
“The unity of Ukraine has many dimensions. But it is certainly impossible without a very simple thing – the unity of children in the school class. Unless there is unity there, it is very difficult to build unity of society and state. Unity is impossible without the support of teachers, without the support of teachers’ assistants of children with special needs and their parents. It will not happen without solidarity of communities, because the topic of inclusive education and the topic of treatment of children with special needs is a priority in the activities of local self-government bodies,” Poroshenko said.
Photo Mykhailo Markiv
He went on to discuss how support for inclusive education shows a strength of character in the people and the government.
“These children need support, they need an accessible environment in kindergartens, schools, on the streets, in transport, everywhere. Inclusiveness is an important indicator of how society, each of us perceives the “difference” … This system frightens those who are weak, they try to avoid the problem and the ways of its solution. Even not to avoid, but to turn the eyes away … As for the strong ones, it makes them accept the challenge, makes them understand, act and help,” Poroshenko emphasized.
Photo Mykhailo Markiv
The President said that for the first time he had seen the model for people with special needs in the halls of the Ukrainian Catholic University.
“Ukrainians are an exceptionally strong people. Our attitude and implementation of inclusive education demonstrate our power… Our readiness to create opportunities for all testifies to our strength and our unity, multiplies and leads to victories,” Poroshenko said.
According to the President, the budget provides enough resources for the creation and proper equipment of almost 700 IRCs, which must fully satisfy the need for such institutions.
“There is an adaptation of the educational process to meet the needs of each student. Parents have to simply bring a child to the educational institution closest to their place of residence and choose the form of education that suits the interests of the child the best. Budget funds are also provided for that,” Poroshenko said.
Photo Mykhailo Markiv
He also noted the active work of local communities in this process and thanked them for their efforts.
“The decentralization initiated by me and supported by the Government … provides tremendous opportunities for the regulation of life in your territories, and we see many examples of responsible attitude to the measures on inclusiveness – from the construction and reconstruction of the school space to the mandatory equipment of resource rooms and media libraries.”
The Head of State stressed that due to the joint coordinated efforts, the number of children entering inclusive classes and groups doubles annually. “This means that we are building a truly new Ukrainian school, where the educational process will be varied, adapted to the needs of each individual child. It means that we are going the European way,” he said.
Photo Mykhailo Markiv
Because of the educational reform and implementation of the inclusive education program in Ukraine, more than 14,000 Ukrainian children with special educational needs can now attend kindergartens and educational institutions together with other children.
Poroshenko spoke about the need for special needs children to be outside their homes and to have the ability to socialize with others.
“This is an artificial isolation. Imagine that a child was forced to spend life in four walls. It had very serious consequences for both children and their families. And now we can say that more than 14,000 children with special needs, who are studying in kindergartens and schools today, are our young fellow citizens who have been saved from suffering, from life tragedies,” he emphasized according to press release from his Press Office.
Photo Mykhailo Markiv
Poroshenko expressed conviction that in order to be sure of the importance of this issue and the implementation of the project, there is no need to be an expert.
“We just have to look into the eyes of the children who are present in this room. See the eyes of children with special needs, who are now finally studying in classes with their peers. They grow together, communicate together, they are being integrated into normal life little by little. They become the only team in which everyone can rely on accurate understanding of children, support of classmates, support of teachers and support of parents – not only their own ones,” he said.
Speaking about the educational reform law that were passed to ensure inclusive education, Poroshenko thanked the first deputy chairman of the profile committee of the Parliament Oleksandr Spivakovsky and his representative in the Parliament Iryna Lutsenko for their efforts in the prompt adoption of these legislative acts.
“They opened the door for children to realize themselves. They created an opportunity to live an active and decent life. The persistent efforts of many noble people filled the laws with real content. I want now, when we summarize only the first results, because there is still a lot of work, to express gratitude to all those who have joined the work on creating the inclusive environment in the education and life of Ukrainian children,” he said.
Photo Mykhailo Markiv
The President was happy to see his wife, head of the Poroshenko Foundation Maryna Poroshenko among the people involved in this process.
“I do not say the words of gratitude often both in the public circle and in relation to people close to me. But here, without exaggeration, Maryna is the motor, the heart of this important matter,” Poroshenko said.
Photo Mykhailo Markiv
He also stated that inclusiveness is a recent important achievement along the lines of the reformed army, visa-free regime, protection of Ukrainian identity and Ukrainian language, spiritual independence of Ukraine and the autocephalous church.
“A lot of efforts of millions of Ukrainians were invested in these achievements. A lot of time. A lot of emotions. But again, I emphasize that inclusive education has a special place in my work schedule, a special place in my heart,” he said.
“We have demonstrated what can be done in such a short period of time. Today you, anyone who is interested, can see the real results of work on its introduction,” Poroshenko summed up.
The President’s wife Maryna Poroshenko gave brief history of how inclusive education came about. First, that the corresponding program for the introduction of inclusiveness had been approved by the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in July 2016, after which the introduction of a scientific experiment had been launched by the Poroshenko Foundation together with the Ministry of Education and Science in the pilot Zaporizhzhia region.
Photo Mykhailo Markiv
“The first steps immediately showed us how important and relevant this topic is for Ukrainian society, and in March 2017, the attention to the issue of inclusive education was drawn at the highest state level. The Concept on the introduction of inclusive education was approved by the Council of Reforms,” Maryna Poroshenko said, noting that from that moment the systematic introduction of inclusive education in all regions of Ukraine had begun.
“I want to emphasize that we have done a lot over these three years and we are already reaching the European and international level. We have taken steps that took decades for many European and world states. The price of this is the happy eyes of children who today have an opportunity to study at regular schools near their peers. They have friends, they feel happy. And we see the parents of such children who now already have confidence in the future of their children,” Maryna Poroshenko said.
Photo Mykhailo Markiv
She thanked everyone who joined the active introduction of inclusiveness in Ukraine.
“This is our powerful team of like-minded people. We have done a lot and we have a lot to be proud of, but we will continue to introduce inclusive education and improve it,” she said.
