January 31, merged communities have received a roadmap for the establishment of inclusive resource centers on the ground. This includes determined goals, objectives, projects that need to be implemented to provide children with special needs with an opportunity to get education at the level of their age mates. This was emphasized by Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities of Ukraine Hennadii Zubko during the training for the heads of the consolidated communities (CC) in Zhytomyr.

"Attention to children with special needs and equal opportunities for their development are an integral part of the development of human potential. And decentralization with its capacities is just the way that enables in full to guarantee the principles of access to education in Ukraine. Every educational institution should ensure education for children, regardless of their physical capabilities and needs, in line with European standards," stressed Hennadii Zubko.

The Vice Prime Minister accentuated that presently Zhytomyr region holds a leading position in the implementation of the decentralization reform and enters top five among the regions in terms of the quantity of amalgamated communities.

He noted that the introduction of inclusive education is important not only in the context of making the rooms compliant with particular standards. It concerns the introduction of new methods, in particular, inclusive and resource rooms in order to ensure maximum involvement of children with special needs to the educational process in the framework of the New Educational Space and hub schools.

The Vice Prime Minister thanked the Poroshenko Foundation and personally the President’s wife Maryna Poroshenko for initiating legislative changes in inclusive education and developing methodological recommendations. "It is crucial to introduce training of specialists who will teach children with special needs. We also look forward to cooperating with the U-LEAD project that has 24 regional centers in Ukraine," the official said.

As a result of the training, there were signed agreements on the establishment of 30 inclusive resource centers (IRCs) with heads of CC and regional state administrations.