Trakia Journal of Sciences, Vol. 8, Suppl. 3, 2010 278 Trakia Journal of Sciences, Vol. 8, Suppl. 3, pp 278-282, 2010 Copyright © 2009 Trakia University Available online at: http://www.uni-sz.bg ISSN 1313-7069 (print) ISSN 1313-3551 (online) SOCIAL WORK AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN AND PUPILS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS K. Damyanov* Resource Centre to support inclusive education of children and pupils with special educational needs in Stara Zagora ABSTRACT In the present report is substantiated the necessity for the introduction of social workers in schools as a necessary guarantor of introducing inclusive education and general educational infrastructure development. Some features of school social work and inclusive education are examined; the main professional interventions of school social workers are outlined. Key words: Social Work, Inclusive Education, Special Educational Needs etc. In light of discussions on the adoption of new law on school education in Bulgaria, the matter regarding the development of inclusive education and integration of children and pupils with special educational needs in general education environment was placed with priority. Topping and Maloney (1) introduced the subject of inclusion by stating that “… like the learning inclusion is a dynamic process, not static state - journey but not purpose of journey.” Just as the learning which is described as a continuous process in the introduction to “Index of Inclusion” (2), inclusion goes hand in hand with the continuing improvement of the school. Thus, it is deliberately presented as an important and positive principle of schools involved in the politics of standards, which reflects on the assumption that the inclusive school is by definition good school (3). Social work as a professional activity, focusing on the welfare of individual, goes hand in hand with the inclusive education which emphasizes on inclusion of all pupils in the classroom. ________________________________ *Correspondence to: Kaloyan Damyanov Email: damianov@gbg.bg , Director of the Resource Centre to support inclusive education of children and pupils with special educational needs in Stara Zagora Since 2003 a number of reforms were made in Bulgaria in this direction, which went in parallel with the process of deinstitutionalization and decentralization of the social and educational services for children. Right here is the time to put a postponed issue regarding the social work at school and the emergence of school social workers in Bulgaria. Social work in the secondary education gains greater force when we connect it with the support for the development of inclusive education for children and pupils with special educational needs. This is quite normal since we know that social work in general performs various social services to disabled people. School social work is one of the oldest varieties of social work and is of special interest today when our schools are facing the change to become inclusive schools. School social workers have a key role in the implementation of successful school reform. In the U.S.A. school social work has developed by several “mobile teachers” in 1960 working in the community in schools in Boston, New York, Chicago and Hardford to a profession which is now practiced by over 20,000 social workers joined in more than 30 associations (4).