Bert in MoldovaT

The Process

January 2017: At the end of a multi-stop 23-hour flight from Canada, our landing at Chisinau’s International Airport coincided with a nasty snowstorm. Just inside the terminal was a smiling young man waving a sign bearing my name. As I approached, my expression no doubt showing my gratitude at his hospitality, he said “Dr. Tulk … Welcome to the past!” My fascinating and enlightening experience in Moldova had begun.

Key Points:

• Moldova’s quest for EU membership … Prerequisites included education standards (particularly in special needs, with a focus on children who were visually and/or hearing impaired)

• UNICEF Moldova consultancy: TORs, field visits, findings, reports, etc

• Concluding reference … Past-Present-Future links

SF Bulletin December 2016

Moldova Inclusive Education Consultancy

Bert Tulk, Sustainability Frontiers, Canada is undertaking a November 2016 to December 2017 consultancy for UNICEF to support the transition towards inclusive education in the Republic of Moldova. Specifically, a concept note and guidelines will be developed to ensure access and participation of children with severe disabilities and sensorial disabilities within the context of inclusive education. Bert will conduct research on international best practice in inclusion and conduct a situational analysis of current delivery of education for children with severe disabilities and sensorial disabilities in Moldova. He will consult and collaborate with experts in Moldova through two in-country visits and by facilitating monthly online sessions. He will prepare a final report of activities and recommendations for future action for the promotion of inclusive education.  

SF Bulletin May 2017

UNICEF Moldova Inclusive Education Consultancy: Update

Bert Tulk, Sustainability Frontiers, Canada is continuing a consultancy for UNICEF to support the transition towards inclusive education in the Republic of Moldova. His first in-country mission took place in late-January 2017, with an extensive meeting and travel itinerary. In close collaboration with working groups and experts from Moldova, Bert visited homes for children with severe disabilities, special residential schools for children with sensorial disabilities and regular schools seeking to include children with disabilities. Informative consultations were also conducted with representatives of Parents’ Associations and the Ministries of Education and Labour during the visit.

Based on what was learnt on the first mission, considered within the context of international best practice, Bert has drafted a concept note and guidelines for education of children with severe disabilities and children with sensorial disabilities. These documents will be revised in conjunction with local expertise and the project steering committee in advance of a national conference on inclusive education to be held in mid-May, when Bert’s second mission to Moldova will take place.

The consultancy will conclude in December 2017, with a final report on activities and recommendations for future action for the promotion of inclusive education of children with severe and sensorial disabilities.

SF Bulletin July 2017

UNICEF Moldova Inclusive Education Consultancy: Update

Bert Tulk, Sustainability Frontiers, Canada is continuing his consultancy for UNICEF in support of the transition towards inclusive education in the Republic of Moldova.

His first in-country mission took place in January 2017, with an extensive meeting and visitation itinerary of homes for children with severe disabilities, special residential schools for children with sensorial disabilities and to regular schools seeking to include children with disabilities. Informative consultations were also conducted with representatives of Parents’ Associations and the Ministries of Education and Labor.

Based on what was learnt on the first mission, considered within the context of international best practice, a concept note and guidelines were drafted for education of children with severe disabilities and children with sensorial disabilities. These documents were revised in conjunction with local expertise and the project steering committee in advance of a national conference on inclusive education in mid-May 2017 coinciding with Bert’s second mission to Moldova.

Ensuring the Right to Education of Children with Disabilities brought approximately 200 multi-sectorial leaders from across the country to Chisinau on 12 May 2017 to ‘take stock’ of progress to date and contemplate next steps to achieve inclusive education. Bert’s keynote address proffered ‘A Strategic Vision for Implementation of Inclusive Education and the Rights of Children with Severe Disabilities and Children with Sensorial Disabilities’. The conference also passed a resolution in support of inclusion, which has been accepted by the Ministry of Education.

The consultancy will continue through to December 2017, with a final report on activities and recommendations for future action for the promotion of inclusive education of children with severe and sensorial disabilities.

SF Bulletin December 2017

UNICEF Moldova Inclusive Education Consultancy: Update

As part of the UNICEF consultancy supporting the transition towards inclusive education in the Republic of Moldova, Bert Tulk, Sustainability Frontiers, Canada presented a keynote for the national training of teachers of the deaf in early November 2017. 

Helping Deaf (and Hearing) Children Succeed in Your Classroom highlighted foundational concepts of deaf education and then shared practical approaches and strategies that can turn potentially negative feelings towards inclusion into positive anticipation of diverse classrooms. The basic premise of Universal Design for Learning is that instructional materials and processes that give a particular student more access to learning in fact benefit all students - either directly, in terms of content, or indirectly, in terms of modeling equity. The strategies shared will not only increase student achievement, but also help students thrive by giving them classrooms that recognize and value the differences they bring. They will help not only the child who is hearing impaired, but also the other children in the class!

As the Moldova Inclusive Education Consultancy is scheduled to conclude by the end of December 2017, Bert will soon be presenting guidelines to increase access to education for children with severe and sensorial disabilities to the Moldova Council on Inclusive Education, followed by a final report on activities and recommendations.