CHERNOBYL CHILDREN'S PROJECT (UK)

Integration into mainstream

The Education Ministry in Belarus is now very keen to integrate some children with special needs into mainstream school.

This is happening in a limited way in Minsk, and a beautiful new school has recently been built in Gomel with ramps and a lift. But the staff and the local education department are keen to learn more about how they can best help children who have always been taught at home to fit happily into school life. Many children across Belarus are unable to go to school, something we take for granted in Britain.

Abraham Moss High School in North Manchester has been integrating children with a wide variety of special needs for over 20 years. The children also come from many different cultures and speak over 30 different languages.

Pamela Thompson, Deputy Head of the school, has been responsible for integration from the start. She visited Belarus in October to give advice and training at School No 72 in Gomel.

Peter Keeley attended Abraham Moss School and is now at university. He has cerebral palsy and went to Gomel to talk to teachers, children and parents about how important it was for him to be able to attend a mainstream school.

He also met the young people at Klimovka, the Search Club and others living in institutions. He made friends  particularly with the young people at Duyanovka and hopes to visit them again in the future.

We are in the process of buying a minibus for School 72 so they can start enrolling children with physical disabilities this September.   Yana, in the picture above, has cerebral palsy and was  very excited at the prospect of going to a mainstream school!