Inclusive Practice In Institutions Of General Secondary Education: Problems And Prospects

Abstract

Along with employment of people with disabilities, great attention should be paid to their education, which affects their employability and full integration into social life. Inclusive education is one of the strategic directions in the development of the education systems of states. According to the laws of inclusive education, institutions of General secondary education should become accessible to all categories of children and create the necessary conditions to meet the educational needs and self-realization of the individual. The article deals with the problems and prospects of inclusive education in general secondary education institutions in the Republic of Belarus, as well as with the issues of creating an inclusive educational environment as an important component of inclusive education. The groups of difficulties that need to be overcome in order to create an accessible education for students with psychophysical development are specified (architectural, urban infrastructure, regulatory, informational, financial, cognitive, socio-psychological, logistics, human resources, etc.). The prospects for the development of inclusive practices in general secondary education institutions are noted.

Keywords: Inclusive educationinstitutions of general secondary education

Introduction

Currently, inclusive education is one of the strategic directions in the development of the education systems of states. The right to education is an essential socio-cultural human right, since, as a social institution, education plays an exceptional role in the formation and socialization of the individual (Lautkina, 2019).

The idea of expanding the educational space to include all students, regardless of differences in abilities and opportunities and their cultural, social, national and confessional status, is a priority in the development of the national education system (Lautkina, 2015). In that connection, it is becoming increasingly important to implement the Concept for the Development of Inclusive Education for Persons with Special Needs: ensuring the realization of the right of children with special needs to education and creating an adequate inclusive educational environment (Lautkina, 2019).

Inclusive education is seen as a legitimate process in the development of education, based on the recognition that all children, regardless of health differences, can learn together. In that regard, general secondary education institutions should become accessible in all respects and accept all children, regardless of their differences, and create the necessary conditions for cooperation, the satisfaction of educational needs and the purposeful development of each child, and the conditions for the self-realization of the individual (Concept for the development of inclusive education for persons with special developmental needs in Belarus, Order No. 608 of 22 July 2015).

Problem Statement

Every year in Belarus, about 3,000 children under 18 are recognized as persons with disabilities for the first time. The number of children with disabilities is increasing every year: in 2008 – 119837 people; in 2015 – 144459 people; in 2019 – 166186 people.

The education system is striving to create the necessary conditions to meet the educational needs of all students. Currently, 222 special classes, 5,787 integrated education classes and 1,368 correction and pedagogical assistance points operate in ordinary schools in Belarus. The number of students studying at home, in special schools or in boarding schools is decreasing. A barrier-free environment has been created in more than 10 schools (Minsk, Grodno, Brest and Novopolotsk).

International experience shows that any education system cannot fully cover and satisfy all individual learning needs.

Inclusive education requires institutions of general secondary education to create an enabling environment that allows students to reach their potential and realise themselves, promotes social integration and prepares them for their future employment (Kratochvilova & Havel, 2014).

Currently, inclusive educational practice in Belarus is limited, largely experimental and unstable. First, this is due to the fact that the inclusive education system is in the formation stage. More than half of the children with disabilities are still enrolled in special boarding schools (3–4 per cent of children in European countries are in such schools). Secondly, it’s the transition from integrated education to inclusive education. This is due to the fact that the integrated educational environment does not always take into account the needs of each learner, and the ideological foundations of inclusive education include the exclusion of any discrimination against children (Grebennikova, 2015).

The transition to inclusive education is a process of changing social consciousness and education systems to remove sociocultural, psychological, educational barriers and the equal and open participation of all children in all activities (Radygina, 2018).

At the same time, the transition to inclusive education in institutions of general secondary education should be preceded by the creation of an enabling environment that covers not only architectural and natural landscape resources, but also by the adaption of the educational process: legal framework, curricula, organization, teaching methods and styles, textbooks and materials, logistics. Without a systemic approach, the transition to inclusive education cannot be successful.

The analysis of the scientific and methodological literature has shown that different sources consider only part of the conditions for the transition to inclusive education, rather than a complete system of conditions. This leads to problems in the practical implementation of the transition to inclusive education (Kratochvilova & Havel, 2014).

In this regard, we have examined the groups of obstacles that need to be overcome in order to create accessible and comfortable education for children with disabilities.

Research Questions

In recent years, a number of prerequisites have been established in the country's education system that make it possible to accelerate, predict the effectiveness and efficiency of the development and implementations of inclusive education in institutions of general secondary education: first, it is the process of socialization and inclusion of children with disabilities in the educational environment, and second, it is the creation of a barrier-free environment in a number of general secondary education institutions. However, only 1.5 per cent of general secondary education establishments in Belarus have a barrier-free environment; in others only an adaptive educational environment is created (Zmushko, 2016).

Therefore, in our work we have considered the existing problems and prospects for the development of inclusive practices in general secondary education institutions.

Purpose of the Study

The aim of the study is to examine inclusive practices in institutions of general secondary education, to identify and analyse objective and subjective factors that prevent the introduction and implementation of inclusive education.

Research Methods

The main methods of research were the analysis of domestic and foreign scientific and methodological literature and legal acts, synthesis and generalization of scientific ideas and obtained knowledge, pedagogical observation and description of the inclusive educational environment on the example of the state secondary school № 8 of the city of Novopolotsk, which from 2014 to 2018 took part in the implementation of the national pilot project "Testing the model of inclusive education in the educational institution", as well as the project "Implementation of the model for the formation of tolerance among the participants of the educational process through the organization of productive interaction with children with special developmental needs". In 2016, as part of the programme "Strengthened strategic cooperation with civil society and local authorities in Belarus", Novopolotsk applied for the implementation of the European Union external assistance project "Novopolotsk – from an inclusive school to an inclusive city".

Our study was to compare the practices of selected general secondary education institutions with available theoretical knowledge in order to assess the readiness of these schools for inclusive education.

Findings

The creation of an accessible environment for students with disabilities will enable them to exercise their rights and fundamental freedoms, thus facilitating their full participation in the life of the country. The development of inclusive education in society is not just a sectoral educational objective implemented in the field of education. The process of functioning and improving the inclusive education system should be carried out as one of the priority areas of state social policy on the basis of strengthening intersectoral cooperation (medical, rehabilitation and psychological services, labour and educational institutions) and the interaction between society, schools, students and their parents.

Conclusion

The results of the study can provide a theoretical basis for the practical transition of general secondary education institutions to inclusive learning, as well as for re-evaluating views on inclusive practices. Education of children with disabilities is one of the basic and prerequisites for their socialization, full participation in society. Children with special needs should have equal opportunities with other children.

References

1. Grebennikova, V. (2015). The development of inclusive education in the Russian Federation: problems and prospects. http://fundamental-research.ru/ru/article/view?id=37946
2. Isosomppi, L., & Leivo, M. (2015). Becoming an Inclusive Teacher at the Interface of School and Teacher Education. Soc. and Behav. Sci., 171, 686–694.
3. Kratochvilova, J., & Havel, J. (2014). Terms of Inclusive Education in Primary Schools. National and School Curriculum. Soc. and Behav. Sci., 141(25), 337–341.
4. Lautkina, S. (2015). Inclusive education in the Republic of Belarus: state, problems, prospects. Pedagogy and psychology as a resource for the development of modern society: problems of network interaction in inclusive education. Mater. of the VII Int. Sci. and Pract. Conf. Dedicat. to the 100th anniversary of S. A. Yesenina (рр. 43–47).
5. Lautkina, S. (2019). Inclusive educational environment in educational institutions Psychological Vademecum. Psychological Phenomenology in the Educational Environment: Multidisciplinary (рр. 167–173). VGU named after P. M. Masherov.
6. Perez, G. (2014). Characterization of Inclusive Practices in Schools with Education Technology. Soc. and Behav. Sci., 132, 357–363.
7. Radygina, V. (2018). Inclusive and integrated training and education in the Republic of Belarus: problems and prospects. https://ckroir-postavy.schools.by/pages/problemy-i-perspektivy-inkljuzivnogo-i integrirovannogo-obuchenija-i-vospitanija-v-respublike-belarus
8. Zmushko, A. (2016). The educational policy of the Republic of Belarus in the field of inclusive education. Man and ed., 1(46), 45–50.