From „Defectology“ towards Inclusion: Policies and Practices of Inclusive Education in Georgia

• In Event: Roundtable Session (Tuesday IV)
  In Refereed Round-Table Session: Teachers and curriculum in schools

Proposal

The Constitution of Georgia stipulates equality of all citizens. Georgia joined the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1994, which ensures protection and access to education for all children, including the right of a child with special educational need. Despite this commitment, until 2006, an institutionalized care was the only option for getting an education for children with special educational needs (SEN). During the Soviet era, the majority of SEN children were isolated in special institutions (orphanages and boarding schools). The rationale of the Soviet theories of disability implied that apart from their “disabling” condition, “defect” was a unifying element that put together different categories of people with disabilities (Florian, 2005). Whereas the Western world evaded the word “defect” to refer to disability, in the Soviet countries general approach was mainly “deficit-centered” and the field of “defectology” was thriving (Grogorenko, 1998).

Beginning from 2005, Government of Georgia (GoG) embarked on a mission to move toward a social model of disability. From 2006, inclusive education and deinstitutionalization became priorities and concrete steps were taken to mainstream SEN children in regular classes.
Law on General Education (2005) became the basis for regulation of inclusive education. It mandated schools to create the conditions for inclusive education, thus creating a unique prospect to reduce the number of residential institutions. 2013 was a milestone year in terms of advancement of the rights of persons with disabilities (PWDs) – the country adopted a resolution to ratify the “Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” (CRPD), thus made a commitment to further advance policy and practice of inclusion.

The purpose of the study is to assess Georgia’s progress toward making a shift from defectology to inclusion and to analyze policies and practices taken to give effect to the country’s obligations under CRPD.

The study analyzes the context of inclusive education; explores the effectiveness of inclusive education policies and practices, particularly in terms of country’s progress toward a social model of disability, and combating discrimination, exclusion and unequal treatment of PWDs.

The study utilizes a qualitative methodology. Desk research was done to analyze existing qualitative and quantitative data, and focus groups (FGDs) and interviews were conducted in order to gain a deeper understanding of the issues of interest.

Six FGDs were held out of which three were conducted with special education teachers and three with SEN children’s parents; 19 in-depth interviews with education experts and school principals. The geographical area for research was sampled purposefully: Tbilisi (capital) which represents the urban areas where students usually perform better and have better learning environment according to all national and international assessments (TIMMS, PIRLS, PISA) and the regions of Georgia where schools usually have higher proportion of vulnerable children - high-mountainous and remote villages, as well as the regions compactly settled with ethnic minorities.

The analysis reveals that significant progress has been made in raising awareness of the population and school community of inclusive education practices and concrete results in terms of increasing access and equity are in place, particularly in general education and vocational education levels.

On the other hand barriers for accessing pre-school education and quality of teaching at all levels is still a problem as well as spatial inequalities (regional-capital disparity). Relatively small part of the remote villages is included in inclusive education. If compared to Tbilisi, where 155 schools out of 297 are included in inclusive education, in mountainous villages, inclusive education practices are implemented only in 171 schools out of 505.
The study identified several factors to be taken into consideration to advance inclusive education practices. First is that consolidated mechanism for financing SEN student should be in place; the existing financing model does not envisage the individual needs of students.
Another important challenge is to end the exclusion of those “hidden” and “invisible” children who are left beyond the educational system. Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia keeps statistics of only those children who are admitted to schools but not about those school-aged children who are deprived of any educational opportunities.

Due to the lack of adaptive resources, low qualification of teachers, a dearth of personnel, inadequate students’ assessment methods, and an ineffective funding system, individualized support measures are not efficient.

The paper highlights important findings that can serve as lessons learned for the global community and hence contributes to existing knowledge on inclusive education practices worldwide, particularly in the countries of the former Soviet Union that face similar challenges.

Authors

• Sophia Gorgodze, National Assessment and Examinations Center; Ilia State University;

• Rusudan Chanturia, UN Association of Georgia