An inclusive approach in the context of modern education

This article is devoted to the inclusive education in Kazakhstan. Particularly, the educational model «Inclu-sion» used for education of disabled-children is presented. Especial attention is paid to the principle which determines the opportunity of people with disabilities to use the facilities of organization or services, with the same ease as an ordinary healthy person. Also, the materials of the article provide general information about inclusion in educational system of Kazakhstan, its stages and advantages.

Reforms in the education area in the Republic of Kazakhstan have humanistic orientation, where the education of people with disabilities in development occupies a special place. The State Program for Educa­tion Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2011-2020 and the strategic plans for its implementa­tion mechanisms for integrating children with disabilities into the educational process are clearly identified; the conditions for them to provide an accessible environment are defined [1]. According to documents, by 2020 year 70 % of secondary schools should have conditions for inclusive education and, accordingly, the training and retraining of teachers of general education are demanded [2].

Inclusive education is a process of involving all children in the educational process and social adapta­tion, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religious affiliation, peculiarities in the development and economic sta­tus. Through this process in Kazakhstan 111,405 disabled children of school age are covered by education (in secondary schools, special education institutions, special classes, at home, in vocational schools and col­leges).

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 [3].

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).

The eight 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.

Preschool stage is time of entering a child with special educational needs in the first public education system — pre-school education and training. For optimal integration of the preschool stage it is important to observe the special conditions of upbringing and education of children with special educational needs, to or­ganize barrier-free environment of their life. In the course of educational activities in preschool it is im­portant to combine individual and differentiated approach in a flexible way. All these would help to ensure that all children participate in community life.

One of the conditions for increasing the efficiency of correctional and pedagogical work is the creation of adequate to child's opportunities protective, pedagogical, and subject and developing environment, that is, of conditions to ensure the full development of all types of activities, the correction of deviations of higher mental functions and the formation of the child's personality.

The organization of education and training of preschool children with disabilities involves making changes in the form of correctional and developmental work. For the majority of children motor difficulties are typical, motor disinhibition, low efficiency, which requires changes and planning educational activities.

According to the Salamanca Statement on Principles, Policy and Practice in the education of persons with special needs (Salamanca, Spain, 7-10 June 1994):

Every child has a fundamental right to education and should be able to obtain and maintain an accepta­ble level of knowledge.

Every child has unique characteristics, interests, abilities and learning needs.

It is necessary to develop the education system and to carry out education programs so as to take into account the wide diversity of these characteristics and needs.

As part of an inclusive approach each educational institution at the stage of planning its activities, edu­cational programs take into account the expected possible needs of all students with their individual needs, developing the so-called Individual Education Plan (IEP). Its development is carried out in the following cri­teria: realistic level of achievement, the ability to assess, activity. Disabled students' place of learning de­pends on his needs and restriction measures. He can be trained:

• in a regular classroom and receive the necessary assistance;
• In the regular classroom, receiving necessary assistance and support from the experts of the institu­tion;
• part of the day in a regular classroom and the rest of the day in special;
• in a special class with providing all kinds of support from the experts and a group of consultants on the issue;
• in rehabilitation program with the continuous support of various specialists [4].

Inclusion is a process of increasing the degree of participation of each student in the academic and so­cial life of the school, and the process of reducing the isolation of the students in all the processes that take place inside the school.

Inclusion calls for restructuring of the culture of the school, its rules and internal norms and practices, to fully embrace the diversity of the students, with their personal peculiarities and needs. Inclusion directly concerns of all the students at the school, not just particularly vulnerable categories, such as children with disabilities.

Inclusion is focused on school improvement, not only for students but also for teachers and its employ­ees. Developing an inclusive policy it is necessary to gradually overcome the barriers that exist in a normal school:

• Incorrect treatment of children with disabilities;
• We do not have adequate representation of these children;
• We just fear what we do not know;
• The lack of specially trained teaching staff. While public school teachers are not prepared to teach children with developmental disorders it is necessary for the government to change the standards of higher pedagogical education, focusing on the training of a corresponding profile;
• Poor material and technical equipment of schools. None of the Ad Hoc devices and educational mate­rials for children and teachers' guides;
• Barrier of physical access. There is a large category of children with reduced mobility, which in terms of development of the intelligence could be taught in a secondary school and be successful. But schools still do not have the conditions for these children.
• Strict requirements of the state standard. The implementation of a wide graded system of assessment of pupils' achievement will allow including in the overall flow of children with different backlogging from the norm of intelligence d

Experts advocate the systematic development of inclusive education. However, they point out the im­possibility of a complete closure of special schools and the transfer of all children with disabilities in main­stream schools.

The system of inclusive education for some people is alarming due to the possible decline in the quality of training ordinary children. However, experts soothe and explain that inclusion is designed to provide high quality training to meet all the participants in the educational process.

«The Americans have calculated that one dollar invested in early correction, eight dollars back at school age», says Eliseeva (Head of the Laboratory of special schooling of the National Scientific and Practical Center of Correctional Pedagogy).

The program «Inclusion» in the 80s of the last century in the United States the process of new buildings construction and reconstruction of old ones began to meet the needs of different categories of people with disabilities. For these purposes the Government allocated additional funds and at the same time applied strict sanctions for violation of accepted standards. At the same time in the territory of such universities as Har­vard, Columbia University, the oldest academic buildings have not rebuilt for entry, such as wheelchairs. It is necessary to mention that buildings of historical value, are not subject to Reconstruction, but if in these buildings there are classes and it is found out that in the group there are students in wheelchairs, classes are transferred to the new academic buildings, landscaped properly [5].

An important principle of public policy in relation to disabled people is the ability of a disabled person to use the services of the organization or service with the same ease as an ordinary person. In case of need, students are provided with interpreters in sign language; personal assistant to facilitate the process of record­ing the lecture material.

Currently, there are 58 psychological, medical and pedagogical consultations operate in Kazakhstan con-financed by local budgets. According to regulations, such organizations in the country should be 80. Methodological guidance data anchored in consultation Republican psychological, medical and educational guidance, situated in Almaty. As of 01.01.2012 in Kazakhstan 151,216 children with disabilities were regis­tered, it is 3.1% of the total child population. According to the Republican psychological, medical and peda­gogical consultations on 01.01.2012 there are 20,912 children in special (correctional) preschool and school educational institutions and special classes (groups) at educational institutions educating and training, or 13.8% of the total number of children with disabilities. There are 111,405 disabled children of school age were covered by training in 2011 (in secondary schools, special classes, at home, in vocational schools and colleges).

Inclusive education is just beginning to develop in Kazakhstan. While the school is not ready for serious reform, but it can and should do slow steps.

High quality education for everybody is the most important requirement of educational inclusion in the international practice. The tendency of inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream schools is the leading benchmark of educational policy in many countries (USA, UK, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Australia, and others.). Children with various disorders in these countries have successfully trained together with normal peers in educational institutions, in which there are special conditions.

With regard to persons with developmental disabilities have been adopted UN Declaration «On the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons» (1971), «On the Rights of Persons with Disabilities» (1975). The Dec­laration «On the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons» affirmed the need to ensure the rights to live in a family environment, with healthy people, education, rehabilitation, the right to productive work, and useful activity and patronage, allowing to develop their capabilities. The Declaration «On the Rights of Persons with Disabilities», affirmed the duty of society to adapt existing standards to the special needs of persons with disabilities.

The 90s international legal instruments aimed at achieving an optimal level of social adaptation of per­sons with disabilities were adopted: Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with disabilities (adopted by the UN General Assembly on De­cember 20 1993), the Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action for education of persons with special needs, the Dakar Framework for Action «Education for All». A fundamental change in the attitude change of world leaders to the problem of access to education occurred in 1990, when the World Conference on Educa­tion for Everyone «Meeting basic needs in education» (DzhomtenTayland), which was declared a policy of «Education for All».

The Salamanca Declaration proclaims the fundamental right to education and the ability to obtain and maintain an acceptable level of knowledge, the right of access to regular schools, which in turn should create conditions in order to meet the needs. It is worth noting the adoption in 2007 by the General Assembly of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Kazakhstan signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol on December 11, 2008. Article 24 of the Convention referred to above, states the right of persons with disabilities to education. In particular, we em­phasize the right to an inclusive education system at all levels and training throughout life, as well as access to quality and free primary education and secondary education in their places of residence [6].

In countries where inclusive education is a sustainable practice, there is national legislation to ensure that the process is not focused on specific groups of children, such as children with disabilities, and on any and all children, young people and adults. Analysis of foreign experience of integrated education for children with disabilities that the practice of providing special support for children with developmental disabilities in the United States had a common tendency with European countries.

Until the mid-twentieth century, the measures taken in relation to children and adults with disabilities were not enough, as the institutions, which prevented children with disabilities are not provided with their educational needs. The Law on Education of disabled children 94-142 was passed by the US Congress in 1975, was later re-enacted in 1990 — Education Act of persons with disabilities. The adoption of the law «Mainstreaming» (total flow) erected the problem of integration in a number of national problems. In ac­cordance with this law, every child with disabilities «in age from 3 to 21 years have the right to choose the most appropriate for him to form a free school and a supportive school environment». The law emphasizes that the maximum inclusion of children with disabilities into regular classrooms «not only contributes to their social adaptation», but «heals the emotional sphere of their normal peers». In 1986, the Law was added to the Early Intervention Program, which was intended to implement a comprehensive, coordinated, compre­hensive care for all young children and their families.

In the second half of the twentieth century in the United States under the influence of socio-political changes have redefined human rights of the child, rights of the disabled. In public schools for deaf students var­ious conditions of integration with hearing children were created. Initially, the main task of the state is to con­duct outreach work among the scientific and educational community and society in general. Creating a legal framework, training materials, teacher training, and study of domestic and foreign experience of implementa­tion of inclusive education will allow Kazakhstan to gradually build up an effective system of education.

The issue of opening of inclusive education in Kazakh language schools is also very actual. So far this has not happened. According to the State Program for Education Development of the Republic of Kazakh­stan for 2011-2020 years, it is planned to increase the proportion of schools, by 2020 to 70 %, to create con­ditions for inclusive education from their total. In 2009, non-governmental organizations of the republic an action «Inclusive Education — YES!» took place to draw attention to the problem of violations of children's rights of access to general education. As a result, funds were allocated from the local budget for the contin­uation of the pilot program to educate children with disabilities in educational institutions of Astana, and the inclusion of additional pilot schools in support of the state program «Children of Kazakhstan» for 2007-2011 and the «Law on Education» on 2005-2011. From 2011 it is currently working in the regions round table program on the theme «Inclusive education: the international practice and the realization in Kazakhstan» for heads of secondary education with the support of the Soros Foundation Kazakhstan. In the current period realized the Internet project based on site www.inclusion.kz in the information support of stakeholders in the development of inclusive education in Kazakhstan.

Experience of the inclusion of children with disabilities in general education in the countries of near and far abroad shows that one of the most important conditions for its success is the creation of the school of psycho-pedagogical support for children by experts in different fields (teachers pathologist, speech therapist, psychologist, social workers, and others). Without timely and quality comprehensive psychological and ped­agogical support of a child with disabilities, families and teachers training in secondary schools can be inef­fective for this student in the best way, and at the worst one can be harmful to all participants of the educa­tional process [7].

In our country the necessary conditions (including psycho-educational support) for the development and education of students with disabilities are created in special education, which is represented by eight kinds of special schools (of 106 schools), in accordance with the characteristics of developmental disorders in chil­dren. In these schools, children are among students with similar disabilities receive all necessary assistance, because classrooms are equipped with special equipment, technical means. The children are provided with medical support, educational process is carried out by trained personnel using special training materials and programs. In seven of the eight kinds of schools (except schools for children with intellectual disabilities), children receive education corresponding to state standards. However, in special schools in our country 13.9 % of disabled children of school age are trained. Most of the students of the category are included in the general education system, which are not all the necessary conditions. In order to implement the rights of per­sons with disabilities to have access to quality education need to transfer the experience of educational work with children with OM of special education services into mainstream education. It is necessary to organize the same support that children enrolled in special education have. To do this, we must solve a number of or­ganizational issues related to the inclusion of psychological and pedagogical support of disabled children into the structure of activities of secondary school.

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. Vygotsky L.S. The fundamentals of defectology, S. Vygotsky, Coll. cit., 1, Moscow, 1982, p. 347.
4. Brown S. Curriculum,2004, 1 (1), 41-43.
5. Education of children with developmental problems in different countries, L.M. Shipitsin, SPb., 1997, 298 p.
6. UNESCO and    the    Ministry    of    education,     and         Spain,     1994,     [ER].     Access mode: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0009/000984/098427eo.pdf
7. 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