Inclusive education in Armenia

Abstract

This capstone essay examines what major problems children with disabilities face in inclusive schools. Nowadays, in Armenia children with disabilities can receive an education both in special and inclusive schools. However, this study examines only inclusive schools, taking into consideration that by 2025 all public schools will be transformed into inclusive ones and the number of special schools will be decreased. This research investigates to what extent physical, technical and human capacities of inclusive schools are adapted to meet the needs of children with disabilities. It also examines what are the general attitudes of inclusive school teachers towards inclusive education. The data collected from the survey and in-depth interviews showed that inclusive schools in Armenia do not have adequate physical and technical capacities to meet the needs of children with disabilities. Although teachers of inclusive schools have sufficient knowledge to teach children with disabilities, they need more trainings. Also, it was found that inclusive school teachers do not have negative attitudes towards inclusive education in general, however, poor infrastructure and capacities of inclusive schools create significant obstacles for them, which affects their perception about inclusive education. This study reveals that despite the huge progress made by the RA government for implementing inclusive education in public schools, a lot of work remains to be done.