Инклюзивное образование

                                                                                                            Korolko Irina Victorovna                                                                                                                                          an English teacher                                                                                                       Multiprofile gymnasium #41, Taraz

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN KAZAKHSTAN

           Nowadays much attention is paid to the problem of inclusive education. Inclusive education of children with learning disabilities is a new strategic direction of educational policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, significantly addressing fundamental education. It implies maximum possible involvement of children with special needs in common general education institutions and determines the educational culture dynamics in many countries of the world. A number of European Union countries have already made drastic structural alterations that resulted in the abolition of special schools (Italy, the USA, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, etc.)

            Today, children with learning disabilities study in “the least restrictive environment”, in other words, they study together with peers in general education institutions. The goal of the development strategy in Kazakhstan up to 2030 related to the educational system is “to provide the development of the national educational model and its integration with international educational environment”.

           The Constitution of Republic of Kazakhstan (Clause 30, Item 1) warrants free secondary education for the citizens of the Republic. In conformity with the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On education” 1999, that avouches free secondary education (Clause 24, Item 1), there have been the following educational levels: - Pre-school education and training; - Secondary education; - High school training; - Postgraduate training. The secondary education is herein obligatory, and includes general education, primary professional education and vocational training. The general secondary education comprises primary (1-4 forms), basic (5-9 forms) and senior (10-11 forms) stages. The right of children to receive secondary education is also warranted by Clause 15, Item 1 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan «On the rights of child in the Republic of Kazakhstan», adopted in 2002. In accordance with this law, the state budget is committed to allocate additional funds guaranteeing education of children with special needs with regard to established standards. Our country has also signed “Dakar Framework of Actions” in 2000, according to which it participates in the program “Education For All” (EFA). Inclusive education is a system of education that accommodates the needs of all children regardless of their disability, health, socio-economic status, gender or race. In general, it responds to whatever potential barrier to learning exists in the classroom.

            Inclusive education is aimed to develop a methodology directed at children and at knowing that all chil­dren are individuals with different learning needs. Inclusive education seeks to develop an approach to teach­ing and learning, which will be more flexible to meet the different training needs. If teaching and learning becomes more efficient after implementation of inclusive education and result of the changes, then all chil­dren win (not only children with special needs).

            Outstanding scientist Vygotsky L.S., analyzing disadvantages of special schools, emphasized that its major drawback is that it separates the child from the normal environment isolates and puts it into a narrow, closed little world, where everything is geared to his disability, where everything is designed for his defect, everything recalls it. Inclusive education is optimal interactions with surrounding people improving the quality of everyday communications among children that have vital functional limitations. Education is an integral part of social and psychological adaptation and integration of disabled children in the society.

            The principles of inclusive education: the value of a man does not depend on his abilities and achievements; each person is able to feel and think; everyone has the right to communicate and to be heard; all people need each other; genuine education can take place only in the context of real relations; all people need the support and friendship of their peers; for all students progress may be rather in the fact what they can do than what they do not; diversity strengthens all aspects of human life.

              We need inclusive education because it teaches children an idea of human rights which leads to decrease in discrimination, children learn to communicate to each other and recognize the feeling of other mates, methodology is needed to being developed for every child as an individual that has different needs, disabled children should get special attention.

           We can see the following results: taking part in public activities; development of self-sufficiency; compensation of special needs; functional approach to teaching and treatment; creation of a comprehensive support system; creation of social relations system; development of child's abilities.

           Like any other concept, inclusive education is practically handled and used both in wide, and narrow understanding. In a more comprehensive sense, inclusive education is considered to be a state policy in     irrespective of age, gender, ethnic and religious belonging, gap in development, or economic status. In a narrower sense, this concept is related to involving children of special needs into general educational process. In Kazakhstan, the concept of inclusive education is shown to have scientific and practical meaning both in wide and narrow sense of comprehension.

Inclusion is an attempt to give students with disabilities confidence in their own abilities, to motivate them to learn along with friends and neighbors without any fear. “Special needs” children need not only support and special treatment; they need integral development of their abilities and aptitudes, progress in their activity. Inclusion helps to implement the above mentioned aspirations of not only representatives of the younger generation with disabilities, and students, who, one way or another, differ from the majority. All of these younger representatives of society are in need of necessary modifications, different variants of presenting the information ways. Pedagogical practice advocates for the inclusion of “special needs” children in the educational environment and for the successful study program acquisition by them. Such innovations encourage specialists and teacher of various profiles to work together for sake of welfare of extraordinary students. Inclusive education implies adoption of each child, flexibility of approaches to educational process.

        Inclusive education is a broad concept for an inclusion of ALL children in one classroom. ‘ALL’ refers to children with disabilities (both mental and physical), gifted, inept, socially vulnerable, immigrants, special needs, different religion, different race or ethnicity, and those who belong to other minority or minoritized groups. Inclusive education strives for eradicating discrimination and preconceptions toward particular groups in the society. Kazakhstan is one of many countries which are trying to implement a policy of inclusive education. Inclusive education may impose a great deal of danger to an unprepared country, for that reason it is difficult to say whether it is time for the country to spread inclusive education throughout Kazakhstan.

                The development of the system of inclusive education is one of the priority directions of the national program of education in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2011 – 2020. The rights of children with limited abilities to have equal rights for quality education are consolidated by the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In the republic there are 138 513 children with limited abilities aged to 18 years that makes 2.8 % of the total number of the children's population, including children of school age – 93 740 children and preschool age – 44 773. The government pays a great attention to education of children with mental retardation. Special education for the children with disabilities is introduced in 37 special kindergartens and 101 special needs schools, 240 special groups and 1098 special classrooms in comprehensive schools. Approximately ten thousand children are involved in home teaching within the individual program. In 2007, 6.6 thousand students were involved in inclusive education in 241 schools within the country.

         The Kazakhstani government is doing too many things simultaneously. Trilingual policy, new standards of learning (as in NU or NIS) and even inclusive education. Of course, they may complement each other if done properly and at the proper time. Here are the possible threats that inclusive education imposes on children and society: a child thrown into a classroom with children different from him could be discriminated; physical and mental violence might take place; a child could become an outcast; some children might lose motivation to study when in one class with gifted ones; children who does not know the language of instruction well could have troubles with performance etc.

        These threats are only one side of the coin as the things could take a totally different direction. Children may become aware of children with special needs and may learn to accept them the way they are. The latter could be able to be integrated into a society, build confidence and lead a social life. To make this happen, the following must be done:

-Whole new curricula must not only be created but concern ALL children with different needs;

-Teachers must be specially trained, not for 2 weeks, but for years;

-Inclusive education has to start from kindergarten where teachers will teach children with special needs to become a part of the society and other children to accept them;

-A special campaign of making society aware of inclusion should start its work;

-Government shall work with parents to make them understand how to take care of children with special needs and integrate them into the society and much more.

References

1. The message of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan of the Leader of the nation N.A.Nazarbayev to the people of Ka­zakhstan «Strategy «Kazakhstan - 2050»:new political policy of the taken place state», December 14, 2013, [ER]. Access mode: akorda.kz
2. The State Program for Development of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2011-2020, December 7, 2010, [ER]. Access mode: akorda.kz
3. Belopolskaya, N. L. (2001). Problemy psikhologicheskogo konsultirovaniyadetey s ogranichennymi vozmozhnostyami [Problems of psychological consulting of the children with disabilities]. St. Petersburg, Russia: Piter.
4. Vygotsky L.S. The fundamentals of defectology, S. Vygotsky, Coll. cit., 1, Moscow, 1982, p. 347
5. Improvement of Education. Prospects for inclusive schools (Improving Education. The Promise of Inclusive Schools). The benefit of the National Institute Sauveur-provement Urban Education, [ER]. Access mode: http://perspectiva-inva.ru

Список литературы

1. Березовин Н.А. Основы органической химии: учеб. пособие. Мн.: Новое знание, 2004. — 336 с.

2. Мижериков В.А., Юзефавичус Т.А. Введение в органическую химию : учеб. пособие.

Diversity intensifies all aspects of human life.

Reaching for success, not failure;

All people need support and friendship of age mates;

Genuine education can be implemented only in the context of real relations;

All people need each other;

Communication and to being heard;

Feelings and to thoughts;

Value.