President walks bullied 11-year-old girl with Down syndrome to school

The President of the Republic of North Macedonia escorted an 11-year-old girl with Down syndrome to class after hearing that she was bullied in school. The head of state is being hailed for taking this big step towards inclusivity.

After President Stevo Pendarovski heard that 11-year-old Embla Ademi, who lives in Gostivar, was facing discrimination at her school, he met the child to lend support.

Pendarovski also accompanied little Embla to her primary school ‘Edinstvo’.

The president spoke to the girl’s family to understand the day-to-day challenges they face, including bullying, and encouraged them “in their fight for the protection of the rights of children”, the statement added.

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Embla has experienced bullying at school due as a result of having Down syndrome — a genetic condition that causes learning disabilities, health problems and distinctive facial characteristics.

“The President said that the behavior of those who endanger children’s rights is unacceptable, especially when it comes to children with atypical development,” the statement said.

“They should not only enjoy the rights they deserve, but also feel equal and welcome in the school desks and schoolyard. It is our obligation, as a state, but also as individuals, and the key element in this common mission is empathy.”

“It will help children like Embla, but it will also help us learn from them how to sincerely rejoice, share and be in solidarity,” the president added.”

The President said he “encouraged and supported” Embla’s parents in their fight for the protection of the rights of children like their daughter.

“Prejudices in that context are the main obstacle to building an equal and just society for all,” Pendarovski said, according to the press release.

He also stressed there was “a legal and moral obligation to provide inclusive education, in which the main focus is on developing skills and abilities in children with different developmental processes” and emphasized the need to raise public awareness of the issue.

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Once part of Yugoslavia, North Macedonia is a small landlocked country in southeastern Europe with a population of around 2 million.