In Albania, kids with disabilities face school challenges

DW (English)

Albania's inclusive elementary school system lacks suitable teaching material for children with intellectual disabilities. That means some families need additional support to help their children learn.

Transcript

00:00Every morning, Anis Joka takes his 7-year-old son Aiden to the PROPAC centre in Tirana,

00:07where he receives therapy for children with intellectual disabilities.

00:11This support is crucial for Aiden, who recently started first grade in an inclusive school.

00:17As a child on the autism spectrum, using school textbooks is a challenge for Aiden.

00:23But his parents and therapists are working together to make it easier for him.

00:30At the moment, we have taken some textbooks in the form of puzzles,

00:35in the form of letters, so that Aiden can understand them,

00:39memorize alphabets and numbers.

00:41So, with the help of my improvisation,

00:44Aiden will be able to memorize something,

00:47but with school textbooks, it is impossible for him to keep up with the rhythm.

00:52Therapist Flavia Shehu, of the Down Syndrome Albania Foundation and PROPAC Centre,

00:57specializes in making information more accessible for children with intellectual disabilities.

01:02Together with other experts from Albania and Kosovo,

01:05she developed a primer that is specially tailored to meet these children's needs.

01:09It was sent to the Albanian Ministry of Education for approval in 2021.

01:14The current textbook is relatively outdated,

01:18and does not meet the needs of children with intellectual disabilities.

01:22Therefore, we came up with this text, which is used,

01:25which can be used more for the intellectual and cognitive capacity of children with disabilities,

01:31so that they know how to cope with their needs,

01:35working on a text, and not just on an individual education plan.

01:41The Ministry of Education approved the piloting of the book in specialized schools.

01:46But because experts have been asking for three years for it to be piloted in inclusive schools,

01:51and no agreement has been reached, the entire process has stalled.

01:58From the Ministry of Education, we have the right to pilot the text in special schools,

02:04but our request is that this text be piloted in inclusive schools,

02:08where we also use this text for children.

02:11In these forms being piloted in inclusive schools,

02:14we can have more feedback to improve this text,

02:18which is still not perfect.

02:24DW contacted the Ministry of Education for comment,

02:27but no answer had been received at the time this video was published.

02:31Aden is not the only child facing such challenges.

02:35According to official data, around 3,600 children with disabilities

02:40were enrolled in elementary education in Albania in the 2022-23 school year.

02:49The scholarship proposed by the Foundation for Children with Down Syndrome Albania

02:53is for their specific needs,

02:56and will be a great support for my children and for all children like me.

03:04Until the new primer is approved,

03:06Aden's family has no choice but to continue with his extra therapy,

03:10and hope that change will soon come.

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