Including the most vulnerable

The Bradashesh school, in one of the rural communities in Elbasan, has more than 47% of its children coming from the most marginalised groups, such as children from Egyptian communities, children with disabilities and children who live in extreme poverty. “This school faces many problems in including children with disabilities and children from the Egyptian community, because sometimes parents don’t have the money to bring children to school, sometimes they don’t understand the importance of education or they are afraid to leave the children alone, when they suffer from a disability. “We have tried many ways to create a positive and friendly environment for children and, at the same time, we have worked with the parents, as they are the key to including vulnerable children,” says Flora, the director of the school, who has been working here for 25 years.

Despite the many challenges this school is facing, it has taken many steps forward. With the support of World Vision, this school recently created a special and interactive class for children with disabilities, which helps them with education through Individual plans, in addition to the time used in normal classes. This school is one of the very few schools in Albania that has a support teacher for children with disabilities, as envisaged by law. “It’s not easy to include these children in the normal classes, but this is the best approach for them to develop and learn. For some children, it was not easy to stay in the class with the others. After some months of working with them in the group or separately, they have started to be more integrated and show the first results, “says Griselda, the support teacher who works with children with disabilities. She is one of the most loved teachers by the children with disabilities.

Erald, an 11-year old boy is one of seven children with disabilities who are going to this school. He suffers from retarded development and sometimes he can’t even remember how old he is. He is in the fourth grade now, and by working according the development plan, he knows numbers, letters and he has started to write some words. “Working with children with disabilities requires lots of patience and self-sacrifice, but what you get from them is lifelong reward,” adds Griselda.