Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Georgia Giorgi Chakhnashvili and Deputy Minister of Education and Research of Norway Cary Brustard signed the new grant agreement on cooperation in the field of inclusive education. According to the grant agreement the project “Development of Inclusive Education in the schools of 9 regions of Georgia” will continue till the year 2012.

The implementation of the project with the financial and methodological support of the Norwegian Government has started in the year 2009 and it has to be finished by this year. By the decision of Norwegian side, the project will continue in the year 2012.

Norwegian Government has been cooperating with Georgian Government since the year 2006. In the scope of this cooperation the following steps have been taken in order to ensure that every child has equal opportunity to receive quality education with his/her peers:

• Around 600 special educational needs students  in Georgia  have received opportunity to study with their peers;
• 11 multidisciplinary teams  of inclusive education have been formed;
• 22 target schools’ physical environment was reconstructed, resource rooms were equipped;
• 2365 teachers, heads of Education Resource Centers and School Principals have been trained;
• New teaching program was created for the elementary education students and it will be implemented in 5 universities of Georgia.