State Guarantees of Inclusive Education
The Georgian Law on General Education makes inclusive education a direct obligation of the state. Under Article 7, the state ensures the right of every pupil — including pupils with special educational needs — to receive general education as close as possible to their place of residence and in the state or native language. This norm is the foundation of accessibility in education and signals to schools that adapting to the child's needs is a state requirement, not merely pedagogical advice.
Where the exercise of this right is impossible through the standard voucher, the state provides such pupils with an increased voucher and/or additional funding within a targeted programme approved by the Ministry. The increased voucher and additional funding serve the openness and equal accessibility of public schools, the introduction of inclusive and multilingual education, the improvement of material, technical, programme and human resources, appropriate remuneration of staff, a health-safe environment and the uninterrupted conduct of the learning process. The state also ensures the receipt of general education in a penitentiary institution, in accordance with the procedure established by the Penitentiary Code.
School Obligations Regarding an Inclusive Environment
Article 33 regulates the obligations of a general education institution, and inclusive education is named among them directly: the institution is obliged to create the conditions for implementing inclusive education. This is complemented by the duty to provide education meeting contemporary requirements, to create the conditions necessary for the learning process, to observe the national curriculum, to create conditions for the functioning of a medical service space, to ensure the safety of pupils on school territory during school hours, and to create the possibility of receiving general education through alternative forms.
The institution is authorised, as far as possible, to provide transport services for pupils who cannot independently travel to and return from the institution. The law also provides for the resource school: it is authorised, for the purpose of supporting inclusive education, to implement programmes and services and to consult other schools, pupils with special educational needs, their parents, teachers and special teachers. When compliance is assessed, what is decisive is whether the school has actually activated these mechanisms.