Centre For Inclusive Education Organized Training Focused On Child Participation and Child Safeguarding

Centre for Inclusive Education organized on February 20 and 21, 2016 in Lozen trainings “Your participation matters” for children and “Child participation is important” for teachers and parents of five schools, participating in “One School for all” programme. A total of 40 children from 4 to 7 grade and 20 parents and teachers participated. They worked in groups. The participants became acquainted with child rights according to UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, why children should be included in the decision making process in all spheres, regarding school life and child safeguarding characteristics and essence.

Teachers and parents were trained how to effectively execute child participation and to consider this empowerment in each element of the inclusive school. The common work and plans of pupils, their parents and teachers for future work on selected priorities is one more step ahead to the real inclusive school.

In the form of various games, pupils had the opportunity to learn more about the rights and responsibilities of children and how to organize and conduct a survey of their peers on issues that affect them. It was extremely exciting for them to work on maps, which represent the school where they study through their point of view. The activities motivated them to share all that they appreciate in school and all that they would like to be changed. "Great, wonderful, motivating, exciting", these were only some of the words, said by children to express their experiences during the training.

During the last session pupils, teachers and parents all together planned their common activities.

The “One school for all” programme creates model for building an inclusive school environment in partnership with five schools in Bulgaria, which to be executed in the future and to support other schools. Among the major objectives of Centre for Inclusive Education is to expand and extend the dialogue, addressing the ways to accept and support differences in school. “One school for all” is supported by America for Bulgaria Foundation.