In order to strengthen the quality and inclusiveness of the education system, the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, the Government of Norway and the United Nations Children's Fund are launching a joint three-year program.

The beneficiaries of the program will be children aged 3 to 18, including children with disabilities, members of national minorities, the socially vulnerable, children left out of school, or at risk of dropping out of school. The program will help them get an inclusive and quality education. The project is funded by the Norwegian government and will be implemented between 2021-2023.

The program presentation, held at the Ministry of Georgia, was attended by the Minister Mikheil Chkhenkeli, Ambassador of Norway - Helen Sand Andresen, UNICEF Representative in Georgia - Ghasan Khalil and Director General of the Norwegian Special Education Agency - Anmar Beker.

"We are launching a very important program in cooperation with the Government of Norway and the United Nations Children's Fund, which will help ensure equal access to quality education for every student. It should be noted that the development of inclusive education is one of the top priorities for the Ministry and a number of support programs are being implemented in cooperation with international organizations. I hope that the process will continue in the future and will bring tangible and fruitful results.” – stated the Minister of Education and Science - Mikheil Chkhenkeli.

"The four-year cooperation envisages a common strategic vision between the two countries. The project is based on the national priorities of the development program and the global goals of sustainable development. The project envisages the sharing of best practices, knowledge and skills among practicing specialists and associates, with the support of a leading UN agency that has extensive experience in this field and has also been working in the country for decades. The aim of the project is to exercise the rights of each child, to develop personal qualities, talents, creative skills, mental and physical abilities.” - stated Her Excellency, Helen Sand Andresen, The Ambassador of Norway to Georgia.

"Every child has the right to a quality education. Like all children, children with disabilities have future plans and dreams, but on the way to education they often face permanent barriers due to the existing stigma and lack of services for the disabled in schools. Inclusive education means that all children study together, at the same school, and create a diverse environment in the classroom. This means that the teaching and curriculum, school buildings, classrooms, playgrounds should be suitable for all children. I thank the Norwegian government for their great support. In cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science and national and international experts, we will work to ensure that all children with special educational needs and disabilities have the full opportunity to learn and develop their potential. " – said Ghassan Khalil, UNICEF Representative in Georgia.

As a result of the implementation of the program, effective teacher training programs and auxiliary teaching-learning resources that meet international standards will be developed; Resource schools with improved physical environments will be selected, educational resources will be created and trained by school principals, teachers, educational centres and local government representatives; Partner schools provide children with after-school, educational, entertainment and supervised leisure programs; Knowledge Resource Centres / Children's Rights Centres will be established in state universities to facilitate cooperation between stakeholders and knowledge sharing about inclusive and child rights education; Teacher training programs at universities and teacher professional development centres will be strengthened to equip new teachers with relevant knowledge and skills.