Inclusion and education

CONTENT NEEDS TO BE ADAPTED AND 
ATTENTION GIVEN TO SOCIO-EMOTIONAL 
WELL-BEING
The alternative opportunities education systems have 
sought to provide to minimize learning loss seem to have 
been limited to one-way transmission of information 
rather than interaction, placing learners in passive roles. 
Examinations were cancelled in some cases and delayed in others,
while in some the choice was left to students
147
C E N T R A L A N D E A S T E R N E U R O P E , C A U C A S U S A N D C E N T R A L A S I A
1 
References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).

---

A passive role without follow-up may not help cultivate 
student autonomy and self-efficacy skills that are 
fundamental both under remote learning and in the 
future. As children suffer from isolation, exemptions 
from the obligation to follow the core curriculum would 
give teachers an opportunity to be flexible and adapt to 
students’ needs (Open Education Policy Network, 2020).
The need for personal attention and interaction is 
especially high among younger students and students 
with special education needs. In Estonia, teachers 
organized more live online lessons to compensate for 
lost face-to-face time. Often, they spent as much time 
guiding parents in how to support their children as 
they did guiding the students themselves. However, a 
lack of e-platforms and study materials designed for 
students with special education needs became apparent 
(Vapper, 2020).
Standard formats, whether online or through radio 
and television, are geared towards motivated, already 
somewhat skilled and self-sufficient learners, and 
neglect student and teacher needs for support to 
overcome obstacles. There are few examples of 
responsive assistance. In Estonia, schools with education 
technologists were entitled to systematic assistance for 
teachers, students and parents that targeted individual 
needs. However, many schools had been unable to fill the 
technologist position. In North Macedonia, a dedicated 
platform was developed to provide online assistance 
to teachers and parents of students with special 
education needs.
Addressing student social and emotional needs has been 
one of the most challenging aspects of education in the 
COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers need support to address 
not just the academic needs of students but also their 
well-being. Online professional development, mentoring 
and coaching are needed, but successful integration of 
technology into teaching and learning requires rethinking 
teachers’ role and their preparation and professional 
development. Enhanced communication and cooperation 
among students to promote their socio-emotional 
development are also needed.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, only medical support, 
organized by CSOs, was provided for students with 
severe difficulties. Official instructions on how to support 
students with special needs were markedly absent. 
Latvia’s government provided self-care assistance but 
not education support for students not allowed to stay 
at special schools where they received professional 
support. In Tajikistan, psychological support to learners, 
teachers and other school personnel could not be ensured 
during school closures, since smaller schools in rural and 
remote areas were less likely to have a psychological 
service. Alternatives to school-based psychologists were 
limited, as district and regional educational departments 
could not hire psychologists from outside schools 
(Mirzoev, 2020).
In Bulgaria, the Ministry of Education and Science 
opened a telephone hotline to provide psychological 
support for students, parents and teachers. In Kosovo,
2
the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology 
and Innovation, in cooperation with UNICEF, made 
psychologists, physiotherapists and therapists available 
daily. A list of them and their contacts was uploaded to 
the inclusive education platform. It is estimated that 
3,000 students have benefited from such education and 
psychosocial services.
Online communication and video connections can lead to 
a feeling of intrusion and cause stress for disadvantaged 
students who may not be comfortable revealing their 
home and living conditions. Although countries in 
the region are doing relatively better than the OECD 
average in that respect, one in five 15-year-old students 
in Bulgaria lacked a quiet place to study (Reimers and 
Schleicher, 2020).
There have been few measures supporting student 
and teacher well-being during the pandemic. As home 
environments and parental support grew in significance 
In Bulgaria, the Ministry of Education and Science opened a telephone 
hotline to provide psychological support for students, parents and 
teachers
2 
References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).
148
GLOBAL EDUCATION MONITORING REPORT 2020

---

during the remote learning period, those with a 
disadvantage risked falling further behind. In Ukraine, 
boarding schools sent students home without checking 
the conditions and their families’ capacity to provide 
safety and care. The government tried to mitigate 
the risk by providing parents with information and 
recommendations on remote learning, meaningful leisure 
time and sanitary needs. The Ministry of Social Policy 
developed actions to protect children, including online 
or telephone communication between social workers 
and parents or guardians aimed at addressing social 
support, food supply and other needs. Social workers were 
encouraged to visit families at risk, where possible.
A number of CSOs have raised the need to address 
student well-being and mental health during remote 
learning. In the Czech Republic, various NGOs drew 
attention in the media to the need to take action on 
mental health and provide assistance to students from 
adverse home environments. There were indications that 
some students were left without pedagogical support, 
and that responsibility for the education continuity of 
students with special needs remained solely with parents. 
In Georgia, CSO programmes for homeless out-of-school 
children assisted them in developing basic academic 
and life skills.
In Hungary, municipalities have continued to deliver 
meals, which are offered free of charge for some groups, 
such as children with disabilities and families that are poor 
or have three or more children (European Council, 2020). 
In Lithuania, free packed meals were provided to poor 
students. During temporary school closures in Tajikistan, 
the World Food Programme, in coordination with regional/
district education departments and schools, distributed 
leftover food to the neediest families with children in 
primary school. However, the lack of school meal provision 
inevitably affected the most financially disadvantaged 
households (Mirzoev, 2020).