Share of children with disabilities studying in special schools in  Armenia does not exceed 10% - UNESCO report

ArmInfo.The share of children with disabilities attending special schools in Armenia has decreased from 37.5% in 2015 to 6.5% in 2023. This means that the majority of these children are now enrolled in public secondary  schools, as stated in the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report, presented at the annual meeting of the UNESCO Global Education Coalition. 

Over the past eight years, this decline has been most significant in  the regions of Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central  Asia, given that most countries in these regions are also  implementing reforms in this area. According to the press service of  the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports (MESCS),  Armenia's system of universal inclusive education was highlighted as  a separate success story in the report. "Armenia is presented as a  country where the proportion of children with disabilities studying  in special schools does not exceed 10%," the source stated.

It was noted that between 2015 and 2023, the number of children with  disabilities in special schools decreased by 75%, while their number  in secondary schools doubled. Currently, over 9,000 children are  studying in secondary schools with inclusive education, and only  about 400 in special schools.

The report also cites ongoing improvements in the process of  assessing the need for special educational conditions and increased  parental awareness, which has resulted in a 30% increase in the  number of children assessed since 2011. Armenia has also made  progress in terms of children not included in the compulsory  education system. Compared to 2015, the proportion of such children  decreased in 2024: from 8% to 4% in primary education, from 8% to 6%  in basic education, and from 24% to 11% in high school.

The report also presents Armenia as a country where the proportion of  students in vocational education and training increased between 2000  and 2024. Along with Armenia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and  Moldova are among the regional leaders in this indicator.