The EU-funded project "Promoting Inclusive Education through Traditional Arts" has been successfully completed.

The project, partially funded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and implemented jointly with the Icheri Sheher Administration, has helped increase access to inclusive vocational education programs for more than 100 young people with and without disabilities over the past three years, the State Agency for Vocational Education said. With the support of the project, Azerbaijan's first Inclusive Training Center for Arts and Crafts was established, and then transferred to the Baku State Vocational Training Center for Culture and Arts.

As part of the project, 112 students with and without disabilities benefited from the inclusive education program. 20 students with various difficulties received small grants by submitting self-employment projects. In addition, 50 video lessons were prepared and posted on the project's winning channel and made available to all citizens. Also, 4 curricula and 11 teaching modules on traditional arts were developed and successfully tested.

As part of the project, the vocational school in Buzovna was equipped with new equipment and materials, and two rooms were renovated and put into operation as a vocational workshop.

In addition, a special program was held to strengthen the capacity for inclusive education for art teachers, special service providers, special educators-practitioners, teachers and psychologists of vocational education institutions, principals and deputy principals. The aim was to better train these professionals to work with young people with various disabilities.

The State Agency for Vocational Education, in turn, intends to continue inclusive education programs and further develop the integration of inclusive education in the country in the context of vocational education.