Back Diversity Day: EU in Kosovo and CoE Office call for strong efforts to guarantee safe access to education

“Diversity Day: The European Union Office in Kosovo and Council of Europe Office in Pristina call for strong efforts to guarantee safe access to education for every child during the current COVID-19 crisis”
Diversity Day: EU in Kosovo and CoE Office call for strong efforts to guarantee safe access to education

On the occasion of the Diversity Day, 26 April, the European Union Office in Kosovo and Council of Europe Office in Pristina wish to stress the importance of guaranteeing access to education for all children also during the current COVID-19 crisis.

“Inclusive education is something the European Union pays close attention to. This is why we are glad to finance the project INCLUDE, which will provide a timely response to ensure inclusive education in the current circumstances. In the long run, the education system in Kosovo will benefit from the capacity building activities and targeted support provided during the project”, said Ms Nataliya Apostolova, Head of EU Office in Kosovo/EU Special Representative in Kosovo.

All possible efforts should be made by the authorities to ensure the continuation of safe and equitable learning at home for all especially for those pupils who need more support or are hardest to reach.  Innovative ways should also be found to tackle the challenges of the current pandemic situation. In this context, cooperation projects can have an important role to play in offering solutions to the current challenges

“The right to education is fundamental, and it is vital that continued access to education is maintained during the current crisis. This is particularly true for children from disadvantaged groups, where special efforts may be needed to ensure that they have access to means and material equal to that enjoyed by their peers" highlighted Frank Power, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Pristina.

The joint EU/CoE project INCLUDE supports the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) in improving access to quality education for all children with a particular focus on increasing the participation of children with special needs and children from disadvantaged groups such as Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian children. The activities of the project are being adapted according to the needs of the current situation.

The project started in January 2020 and is funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe. The project will last four years.

For more information: Project webpage 

Pristina 26 April 2020
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Fifty practitioners to enhance skills in provision of occupational therapy

Following the adoption of the Guidelines for Occupational Therapy (OT), as well as the Training of Trainers (ToT) on OT that took place in January 2024, three 2-day cascade training sessions were organised in the course of February and March 2024.  Fifty professionals, mainly from the Prison Health Department, along with representatives from the Correctional Services, Institute for Forensic Psychiatry, and the Special Institute for Persons with Mental and Physical Disabilities, were trained on this important form of therapy.

To complement the theoretical aspects and provide the trainees with practical knowledge, some of the sessions were conducted in the Dubrava Prison, in a section which houses prisoners with both mental and somatic problems. This on-site training allowed the participants to observe and understand the application of OT principles in a real-life setting, thus enhancing their learning experience by connecting theory and practice.

These cascade training sessions allowed the participants to further improve their skills in applying the OT Guidelines and tools in prisons and other closed institutions, a concept which was thus far not utilised in a structured manner. Furthermore, training healthcare and correctional professionals together helps them further strengthen the inter-institutional cooperation in the treatment and rehabilitation of some of the most vulnerable members of the society.

Each of these sessions were facilitated by two trainers who had participated in the ToT in January and were supervised and mentored by a Council of Europe consultant who has been involved in the process since the very beginning, thus further strengthening institutional capacity to provide training.

The activity was conducted under the auspices of the Council of Europe project “Improvement of the treatment of persons deprived of liberty”.

 

 

*All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions, or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United National Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.

Istog/ Istok 26 March 2024
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