On April 20, 2023, a regional seminar for members of the National Association of Resource Teachers (NART) from Northwestern Bulgaria was held at the “Balkan” hotel in Pleven. The event was attended by members from the sections in Lovech, Vratsa, Montana, Sofia, Sofia Region, and Pleven.

In the first part of the meeting, Ms. Mariana Bancheva presented the educational toolkit created under the STEAM4SEN project – methodological guidelines and practical sessions based on project-based learning and a multidisciplinary approach. The project aims to create conditions for the active inclusion of students with special educational needs in school STEAM activities.

An educational toolkit for the development of social-emotional competencies in early childhood was also presented, developed under the BE CHILD project – “Building an Inclusive Society through Support for Early Childhood Education and Care for the Development of Social-Emotional Competencies in Preschool Children.”

The focus of the second part of the meeting was the discussion of current issues in the field of inclusive education. Problems related to the following were discussed:

•             The implementation of the regulatory framework;

•             Interaction in the Individual Educational Plan (IEP) in kindergarten/school and the organization of on-site work;

•             Interaction with parents;

•             Qualification, methodological support, and sharing of resources.

Suggestions were made for changes in the regulatory framework that could improve the quality of work with children and students with special educational needs, as well as help overcome existing problems in the work of resource specialists.

A regional meeting for NART members from Southwestern Bulgaria is upcoming and will take place on April 28th, 2023, in Stara Zagora.