Inclusion and education

Regional Report of the Global Education
Monitoring Report series
2021 Central and Eastern Europe, Caucasus and 
Central Asia – Inclusion and education: All means all
2020 Latin America and the Caribbean –
Inclusion and education: All means all
2019 Arab States – Migration, displacement and 
education: Building bridges, not walls
Cover photo: UNICEF/UNI42671/ Roger LeMoyne 
Caption: Children clap to music in a preschool at the 
Social Services and Child Protection agency in Istanbul. 
The agency provides adult literacy classes, runs an 
early childhood development centre and offers parent-
education courses using materials developed by 
UNICEF's Family and Child Training (FACT) programme.
Infographics by blossom.it
Cartoons by Anne Derenne
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GLOBAL EDUCATION MONITORING REPORT 2021
This publication and all related materials are available for download here: 
Bit.ly/Eurasia2021inclusion

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Foreword
by the Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO
COVID-19 has made the cracks in our education systems wider and deeper. These cracks were apparent the world over 
before the pandemic, including in Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. But, without a doubt, 
the momentum to make a change had already taken seed. While institutional care still exists in the region, it is far less 
extreme than it was only a decade ago; while Roma children in Central and Eastern Europe are often still unfairly and 
disproportionately excluded, their protection and rights are increasing; where those with disabilities once had no chance 
of finding a place in mainstream education, many now do. 
Examples abound in this report of progress for inclusion happening across education systems in the region: in 
governance, teacher education, data collection, finance and textbooks. This progress must be fast-tracked if we are
to fight our way back to a stronger education system after COVID-19.
The challenge remains to fully do away with an approach to disadvantaged groups at risk of exclusion, on account of 
displacement, nomadic way of living, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation, which saw diversity as a problem to be 
fixed, not a strength to be celebrated and benefit from. Medical approaches to the education of learners with disabilities 
still influence these learners’ school placement and education experience. Exclusionary mechanisms and administrative 
barriers remain. In 18 countries, admissions to schools still depend on medical-psychological assessments and other 
selection procedures. 
Legacies of segregated education, for instance, and a well-intentioned approach to defending the right to a 
mother tongue education mean that fully inclusive mainstream schools will take stronger commitment from 
governments concerned. Every single country in this region still segregates children from particular groups into 
separate schools. Every country, therefore, needs to plan for change.
Let the unjust implications of COVID-19 be the impetus to address this need. History in the region shows that change
is possible. Out-of-school rates have halved in the past 20 years. Recently, eight countries have moved to create 
resource centres shared between schools to shift to full inclusion of those with special needs. Resources and logistics 
have been rallied to open school doors to the refugees who have arrived in some corners of the region. 
We were caught short by COVID-19, and our eyes have been opened to the need for greater resilience to future shocks 
around the corner. Despite its many difficulties, the pandemic has forced us to reassess the way we live, the way we 
treat other people and the type of future we want to build once it is over. All of us need the knowledge and skills to 
change mindsets that can build a caring and green economy; build resilience to disinformation; and foster awareness 
and responsibility towards a stronger, more inclusive and democratic society built on solid community values.
Yes, COVID-19 interrupted education in a way we have never seen before. Now we must make sure this break is a pause 
for much-needed reflection about the societies we want to build, and the education we need to build them.
Stefania Giannini
Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO
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Foreword 
by the Head of the Education Department, Council of Europe
 
Sustainability is sometimes reduced to an issue of environmental sustainability and climate change. There is something 
to be said for this view: If we do not manage to limit climate change, if we do not make our physical environment 
sustainable, the other issues we discuss will quickly become moot.
We should not deduce from this, however, that if “only” we can stop climate change, we will have won the battle 
for sustainability. Humanity will thrive only if we make our societies environmentally, socially, societally, culturally, 
politically and economically sustainable.
Achieving social inclusion is one of our most difficult challenges, and the COVID-19 pandemic adds to the challenge.
We cannot rise to it without making education a centerpiece of our efforts. This regional report covers 23 of the Council 
of Europe’s member states. Its topic, however, is crucial to all countries.
How we understand quality is key. Nobody can be against it, and nobody can admit to aiming for second best. 
But we tend to think of quality as something predefined. 
Yet quality is not neutral. If we see quality as synonymous with elites and reduced numbers, it can be used to exclude. 
But we can see quality as a measure of how well we provide as many as possible with decent opportunities. It can be 
used to include. In the Council of Europe view,
1
an education system cannot be of high quality unless it is inclusive. 
A system that leaves many students by the wayside cannot be good.
Inclusion, then, is a 
conditio sine qua non
for education itself. It is also a key aspect of education’s broader societal role. 
Education must provide students and graduates not only with knowledge and understanding but also with an ethical 
compass that makes exclusion and marginalization unacceptable to us as individuals and as societies. We must provide 
education, not just training.
Education must fulfil its full range of purposes: preparation for the labor market, preparation for life as active 
citizens in democratic societies, personal development, and the development and maintenance of a broad, advanced 
knowledge base.
2
Education must help develop a culture of democracy: the set of attitudes and behaviors that enable 
our institutions and laws to be democratic in practice. This requires commitment to providing everyone with equal 
opportunities. 
As education cannot be of high quality without being inclusive, societies will not be sustainable if they are exclusive.
And our societies cannot be sustainable unless education provides us with the competences we need to make them 
inclusive. Only then will we develop and maintain the kind of societies in which we would ourselves want to live.
Sjur Bergan
Head, Education Department
Council of Europe
1 
See Recommendation CM/Rec(2012)13 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on ensuring quality education.
2 
See Recommendation CM/Rec(2007)6 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the public responsibility for higher 
education and research.
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Foreword
by the Deputy Director, Centre for Educational Initiatives Step by Step, Bosnia and Herzegovina
If all children are to reach their full potential in life, they must have an equal chance of receiving an education of good 
quality. The critical importance of education for the prospects and prosperity of individuals, communities and entire 
nations is recognized in Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with SDG 4 calling for inclusive 
and equitable quality education for all. However, too often, the most marginalized children are left behind, including girls, 
ethnic and linguistic minorities, migrants and refugees, children with disabilities, and those from low-income families 
or living in remote areas. Yet education’s unique power to act as a catalyst for wider development goals can be fully 
realized only if it is equitable.
If all children are to be fully included in education, we need to understand the factors that inhibit and exclude the most 
vulnerable from learning. The 2021 Central and Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia report on inclusion and 
education aims to fill key knowledge gaps and provide evidence-based recommendations to assist governments and 
other key education stakeholders in strengthening inclusion and SDG 4 implementation across the region.
The report illuminates the determined efforts by countries throughout the region to introduce reforms that will improve 
access to quality education, reflecting their firm commitment to Agenda 2030. It sets out the current education 
challenges to inform data-driven policy and planning that can address children’s unmet learning needs. The report could 
not be more timely, as it sheds light on country preparedness to organize digital access even before the surge in online 
learning triggered by the COVID-19 crisis, which revealed the limits of education in general, especially as regards children 
from low socio-economic backgrounds.
The move towards inclusion will not happen unless communities are on board. Grassroots organizations and 
youth play an essential role in raising awareness about inclusion and acting as watchdogs to monitor government 
commitments concerning the right to inclusive education. Young people’s involvement, engagement and development 
in strengthening the foundations of inclusive education systems is an end in itself, as well as a means for young people 
to actively influence and shape education reforms. The report highlights the need to recognize young people and 
communities as partners for change in Agenda 2030 implementation.
My hope is that the report will be a catalyst for change benefiting some of the most marginalized children in the region. 
The report’s 10 messages are precisely the call to action we should all heed as we seek to strengthen education systems 
in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as the world enters the final decade of action to achieve SDG 4 and fulfil its 
commitment to inclusive education. We all have a responsibility in making this happen. We honestly do not have any 
other option.
Nedim Krajišnik, youth and education activist
Deputy Director, Centre for Educational Initiatives Step by Step,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Acknowledgements
This report would not have been possible without the valuable contributions of numerous people and institutions.
The 
Global Education Monitoring Report
, the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education and the Network 
of Education Policy Centers (NEPC) would like to acknowledge their support and thank them for their time and effort. 
Special thanks go to our respective funders.
We would like to acknowledge the role of UNESCO and its leadership and show gratitude to many individuals, divisions 
and units at UNESCO headquarters, notably in the Education Sector and the Bureau for the Management of Support 
Services, for facilitating our daily work.
The three partners would like to thank the researchers and national experts who prepared the education system profiles 
and vignettes informing this report’s analysis: Ilze Ābelniece, Batjargal Batkhuyag, Jaroslav Faltýn, Jelena Fustic,
Jelena Fustic, Greta Gancheva, Fidan Gözde Ertekin, Elvira Hadžibegović Bubanja, Itena Hoxhallari, Rozeta Hoxhallari, 
Paula Frederica Hunt, Aigul Iskakova, Aleksandr Ivanov, Elmina Kazimzade, Alen Kofol, Özgenur Korlu, Erika Kovács, 
Almeda Kurienė, Anastasia Kutepova, Piret Liba, Anđelija Lučić, Giorgi Machabeli, Larisa Marchenko, Burcu Meltem Arık, 
Merve Mert, Tamar Meshki, Marina Moiseeva, Kutbiddin Mukhtori, Lilit Nazaryan, Kayıhan Kesbiç, Elżbieta Neroj,
Eli Pijaca Plavšić, Dukagjin Pupovci, Ana M. Raleva, Ema Rraci, Virginia Rusnac, Hanna Siarova, Natalia Sofiy,
Mária Tekelová, Anamarija Viček, Gulbadan Zakayeva and Griselda Zisi. A full list of those who worked on preparing
and validating the profiles can be found at the end of the report.
We are grateful to Kristen Congedo, who edited the report. We also wish to acknowledge those who worked tirelessly 
to support the production of the report, including Rebecca Brite for copy-editing the report, Erin Crum for proofreading 
and blossom.it, including Daria Barlassina, Giacomo Cesana, Teresa Gallo, Francesco Pasquini, Laura Scaglione,
Angela Testa and Daniela Vaccaro, for layout.
Finally, thanks go to Anne Derenne for the cartoons, Rooftop for support to the outreach, and to the Open Society 
Foundations, Save the Children and UNICEF for extensive use of their photos.
Education system profiles
The European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education was responsible for the profiles in: Bulgaria, Croatia, 
the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. The Network 
of Education Policy Centers was responsible for the profiles in: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo,
3
Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, the Republic of 
Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. The NEPC also carried out a mapping study
of education responses to COVID-19 in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, 
the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, Montenegro, North 
Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, the Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey and Ukraine.
The following people contributed to the collection of data for the 30 education system profiles and the 
respective vignettes.
3 
References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999).
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Albania
Rozeta Hoxhallari, Griselda Zisi and Itena Hoxhallari, 
Children Are the Future
Armenia
Lilit Nazaryan
Azerbaijan
Ulviyya Mikayilova, Elmina Kazimzade, Mirfaiq Mirheyderli 
and Aygun Dadasheva 
Other contributors
: Farid Suleymanov, Mayis Aliyev,
Baku State University and Yuliya Karimova
Belarus
Hanna Siarova
Other contributor:
Agnia Asanovich
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ivona Čelebičić and Zlatan Jovanović, proMENTE 
social research
Other contributors:
Radmila Rangelov Jusović, 
COI Step by Step
Dženana Trbić, Open Society Foundation 
Bosnia and Herzegovina 
COVID-19:
Nedim Krajišnik, COI Step by Step
Bulgaria
Amélie Lecheval, European Agency for Special Needs and 
Inclusive Education
Greta Gancheva, Ministry of Education and Science
Kaloyan Damyanov, Regional Centre for Support of the 
Inclusive Education Process
COVID-19:
Adela Peeva and Mihaylo Milovanovitch, Center 
for Applied Policy and Integrity
Croatia
Amélie Lecheval, European Agency for Special Needs and 
Inclusive Education 
Eli Pijaca Plavšić, Forum for Freedom in Education
COVID-19
: Eli Pijaca Plavšić, Forum for 
Freedom in Education
Czech
 
Republic
Marta Presmanes, European Agency for Special Needs 
and Inclusive Education
Jaroslav Faltýn, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
COVID-19
: Lenka Hečková and Anna Kubíčková
Estonia
Marcella Turner-Cmuchal, European Agency for Special 
Needs and Inclusive Education 
Piret Liba, Ministry of Education and Research 
COVID-19
: Eve Mägi
Georgia
Giorgi Machabeli and Tamar Meshki, International 
Institute for Education Policy, Planning and Management
Other contributors:
Ekaterine Lezahava,
Ekaterine Dgebuadze, Tamar Zhgenti, Tatia Packoria and 
Aleksandre Asiantiani, Ministry of Education, Science, 
Culture and Sports
Salome Charkviani, Teachers Professional 
Development Center
Lika Gigauri, Office of the State Minister for Reconciliation 
and Civic Equality
COVID-19
: Mariam Machabeli, International Institute for 
Education Policy, Planning and Management
Hungary
András Lénárt, European Agency for Special Needs and 
Inclusive Education
Orsolya Endrődy-Nagy, Eötvös Loránd University
Ádám Horváth, Centre for Digital Pedagogy 
and Methodology
Mária Kőpataki Mészárosné, former National Coordinator 
in the European Agency
Zsuzsa Sallaine Sipkai, Sure Start Children’s Houses, 
Ministry of Interior
Eszter Szegedi, Fészek Waldorf School and consultant at 
Tempus Public Foundation 
Other contributors
: 
László Kiss, Ministry of Human Capacities
Erika Kovács, Sure Start Children’s Houses Programme, 
Ministry of Interior 
Kazakhstan
Gulbadan Zakayeva and Aigul Iskakova, Community 
Educational Foundation School for All
Saule Kalikova, Soros Foundation 
Svetlana Ismagulova, National Academy of Education
Kosovo
4
Ema Rraci and Dukagjin Pupovci, Kosovo Education Center 
Other contributors:
Lulavere Kadriu Behluli and Shqipe 
Bruqi, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
Kyrgyzstan
Larisa Marchenko, Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University
Aleksandr Ivanov and Anastasia Kutepova, Foundation 
Education Initiatives Support
Other contributor
: Nina Bagdasarova, American University 
of Central Asia
Latvia
Verity Donnelly, European Agency for Special Needs and 
Inclusive Education 
Ilze Ābelniece, National Centre for Education 
4 
References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999).
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Other contributor
: Guntra Kaufmane, National Centre 
for Education
COVID-19
: Maria Golubeva
Lithuania
Amélie Lecheval, European Agency for Special Needs and 
Inclusive Education
Almeda Kurienė, Gražina Šeibokienė and Teresa Aidukienė, 
Ministry of Education, Science and Sport
Lina Palačionienė and Svajonė Mikėnė, National Agency 
for Education
COVID-19
: Rimantas Želvys
Mongolia
Batjargal Batkhuyag, Mongolian Education Alliance
Other contributor:
Tungalag Dondogdulam, All for 
Education! National Civil Society Coalition of Mongolia
Montenegro
Elvira Hadžibegović Bubanja, Anđelija Lučić, Jelena Fustic 
and Jelena Fustic, Forum MNE
Other contributor:
Mirjana Popović, Public Institution 
Resource Centre for Children and Youth Podgorica
Vignette
: Sava Kovačević, elementary school 
Oktoih, Podgorica
North
 
Macedonia
Ana M. Raleva, Macedonian Civic Education Centre
Other contributors: 
Biljana Trajkovska, Ministry of Education and Science
Mitko Cheshlarov, Bureau for Development of Education
Gorica Mickovska, Loreta Georgieva, Nebojsa Mojsoski and 
Anica Aleksova, Macedonian Civic Education Centre
Rozalija Davkovska
Vignette
: Svetlana Gasoska, Macedonian Civic 
Education Centre
Poland
Verity Donnelly, European Agency for Special Needs and 
Inclusive Education 
Elżbieta Neroj, General Counsel, Ministry of 
National Education
Republic