Kochanova: effective system for work with disabled children operates in Belarus

A regular meeting of the Advisory Council under the Council of the Republic has taken place today gathering senators from relevant commissions, education and health ministers, and invited specialists, including from the regions, to discuss how to integrate children with various disabilities into society – starting from kindergartens and ending with employment. The Chairperson of the Council of the Republic, Natalya Kochanova, proclaimed the key thesis of the meeting: these young people should find their place in life.

“In my opinion, an effective system has been built in our country to work with disabled children, in particular autistic people,” Ms. Kochanova addressed those present. “At the same time, on meeting with people on the local level, we register problems that concern parents of these children. With this in mind, we are meeting here today to work out proposals and suggestions, perhaps somewhere at the legislative level.”

Ms. Kochanova added that public organisations should be more actively involved in solving this issue, “In particular, we need help from public organisations and caring people who are now working together on issues that will help families raising such children overcome emerging problems easier, because they will understand that there is a body which they can address to discuss an issue and further solve it more efficiently.”

The Chairperson of the Council of the Republic also spoke of the need to train specialists working with children with special needs. According to Ms. Kochanova, not every teacher knows how to work with such boys and girls. “We have recently adopted a new edition of the Education Code, which clearly stipulates what inclusive education means. Tutors work in our country. Meanwhile, people locally assert that not always the written norms are effective and produce the required result. If all of us seriously focus on the work of providing concrete assistance, then it will become easier for those who face such a problem now,” she said.

Following the results of the Advisory Council, Ms. Kochanova suggested holding the next meeting in a medical institution or a correctional development centre to see how work with such children is organised in practice.