DEVELOPING AN INTER-SCHOOL TERRITORIAL CLUSTER MANAGEMENT MODEL FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Abstract

This article examines the organizational and managerial potential of an inter-school territorial cluster for organizing inclusive education. The study is based on the premise that the effective implementation of inclusive education requires not only the admission of students with special educational needs into mainstream schools but also the development of coordinated management mechanisms among schools, teachers, psychological and pedagogical support services, parents, local authorities, and community organizations. The research applies a systems approach, comparative analysis, content analysis, institutional analysis, and synthesis of international and national policy documents. UNESCO, UNICEF, World Bank, and national regulatory documents related to inclusive education and school management were analyzed. The findings demonstrate that an inter-school territorial cluster can function as a coordinating mechanism for pooling educational resources, strengthening teacher competencies, sharing specialist services, developing professional cooperation, supporting inclusive school leadership, and monitoring educational outcomes. Based on the analysis, a conceptual management model is proposed consisting of six interconnected components: strategic coordination, resource integration, professional support, individualized educational support, stakeholder engagement, and monitoring and evaluation. The study concludes that the territorial cluster approach can contribute to transforming inclusive education from an individual school-level initiative into a coordinated territorial management system.