Inclusive education in Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina: policy and practice

Abstract

This paper examines developments in inclusive education in Bulgaria (BG) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) in the context of actual and desired accession to the European Union respectively. It seeks to provide insights into the national special education traditions in these countries and aims to establish how these have influenced current developments in inclusive education together with and alongside powerful external change agents. This research focuses on policy makers' perspectives on changes associated with inclusion. There are significant similarities in the way inclusive education reforms are being perceived and implemented in both countries, and analysis suggests there is a strong need for regional co-operation with shifts in both policy and practice.

Challenges for teachers’ professional learning for inclusive education in Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States

“…However, it is important not to underestimate the magnitude of the reform efforts needed; discussions of an inclusion philosophy, and meaningful engagement with the children's rights agenda, are still largely absent from professional circles and from the literature available in CEE countries (Tsokova and Becirevic 2009). Apart from the examples presented here, few researchers and teachers are engaging with the theory and conceptual underpinning of social and educational inclusion.…”

“…The UNICEF (2007) regional review of EFA noted that, to date, professional development activities have focused on in-service training, leaving the reform of pre-service training largely unreconstructed. This is a key area for attention if sustainable reforms are to be achieved, particularly because the rapid rate of change in the region, and the eagerness to demonstrate progress in inclusion, have meant that many professional practices and assumptions have been left unscrutinized (Tsokova and Becirevic 2009). As Todorova (2009) has argued, outside pressures to change policies and legislation must be supported by informed professional communities and a proactive civil society to ensure a natural development of new understandings of childhood and childcare practices.…”

“…Looking at Bulgarian government reports on children with disabilities, Tsokova and Becirevic (2009) found it difficult to determine if the figures included Roma children or only children with disabilities. The Open Society Institute (2007) estimates that in Bulgaria, 51% of the children in special schools are Roma.…”

“…A 1996 project in Bulgaria began the process of examining the assumptions of defectology (Tsokova and Becirevic 2009). The renaming of defectology as special education was one of the first steps taken to reform practices around disability in general.…”

Comparative analysis of bachelor studies for pre-school teachers and teachers in Serbia and Bulgaria

“…Док је у Србији учитељи припремају за инклузивно васпитање и образовање чијој идеји се приписује тежња ка потпуном укључивању све деце у васпитне групе и одељења редовних дечјих вртића и основних школа (Миленовић 2013; Миленовић, 2010; Илић, 2010), у Бугарској се васпитачи и учитељи припремају за инклузивно васпитање и образовање само деце с лакшим развојним сметњама, Ж. Миленовић првенствено за њихову социјализацији и оспособљавање за обављање одређене делатности. Њихово оспособљавање се значајно разликује од земаља које имају развијену праксу инклузивног васпитања и образовања, као на пример у Босни и Херцеговини (Tsokova, Becirevic 2009), Грчке (Bokovaetal. 2015) и осталих држава Европе.…”