On May 18, 2016, the Vice-President of the European Commission, Mr. Maroš Šefčovič, visited a pilot school in Samarkand in the Human Dynamic’s led project "Inclusive Education for Children with Special Needs in Uzbekistan". The visit was held on the first day of the Vice President’s three-day whistle-stop tour of Uzbekistan.
The high-level delegation, headed by Mr. Maroš Šefčovič, also included Mr. Yuri Stärk, the Ambassador and
Head of the EU Delegation to the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as the Political Adviser, Mr. Svetlin Sergeenkov and the Project Manager of the Technical Cooperation Department, Mr. Akmal Rustamov.
The Human Dynamics team, representatives of the Ministry of Public Education, teachers from inclusive schools and parents of children with special needs, were able to share the progress of the Human Dynamics’ implemented project.
Then, teachers from the Samarkand school demonstrated the learning process in inclusive classrooms and highlighted the importance of progressing the improvement of the educational system in Uzbekistan.
While visiting the classrooms of the pilot school, Commissioner Šefčovič shared his satisfaction with the achievements of the project.
On behalf of the beneficiaries, Ms. Vasilya Sattorovna Alimov, Director of the Republican Centre for Social Adaptation of Children (RCSAC) gave a presentation on the results from the collaboration with the project.
“With the support of the EU-funded Inclusive education project, we’ve been able to develop a National Strategy on Inclusive Education in the 2015 - 2017. It is worthwhile mentioning that more than 800 children with special educational needs have been included in 15 pilot schools and 15 kindergartens. Adding to this qualification trainings organised for 944 teachers and 90 medical specialists and other schools staff, I think this can be considered as a very successful project’’, Ms Alimov said.