Inclusive education. Where we are?

The government of Kazakhstan has launched a state program for education development and set the indicators to make 70% of schools inclusive by 2020.  In this regard, inclusion and inclusive education have become an essential component for future provision of equal education and to enable children with special education needs to become an active part of society. For all children, but especially for children with emerging needs early identification is crucial in order to expertise, support, include and empower those children to be an active part of society (UNESCO, 2005).

Retrieved from: http://www.unicef.org/tajikistan/media_24579.html  

Kazakhstan being relatively young country has made its first steps towards inclusion and inclusive education. To be precisely, local government has made fundamental steps by ensuring legislative framework starting from first years of independence. Namely, Convention on the Rights of Child, and later committed to the Education for All, UNICEF convention guaranteeing equal access to education for all children and Article 24 of UN Convention on the rights of Persons with Disabilities, which states the right to education in inclusive settings. Furthermore, Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Law on education adapted those conventions’ rights and guaranteed education for each citizen. As for the real numbers and facts, suggested statistics reveals that currently 151 000 children are estimated as having special educational needs. All those children are assessed and served by 56 psychological- medical- pedagogical commissions, 20 special rehabilitation centers, 1155 special groups on the premises of special boarding schools, 129 special psychological and special educational offices (Bridges, 2014, p.202). Over 8 000 children are receiving education at home via personal tutors and information computer technologies.  In addition to this, establishment of Inclusive Gymnasium School #65, Inclusive preschool “Asyl Bobek”,  and new specialty “Leadership in education. Inclusive education” at Nazarbayev University at Astana is remarkable achievement. However, the implementation of inclusive education is not succeeding and majority of children with special education needs are still segregated at all level of education.

Retrieved from: http://www.mfa.kz/index.php/en/about-kazakhstan/annual-state-of-the-nation-address/kazakhstan-s-way-2050-common-aim-common-interests-common-future-address-of-the-president-of-the-republic-of-kazakhstan-nursultan-a-nazarbayev-to-the-nation-january-2014

 In recent study, conducted by OECD, that outlines a number of barriers to the development of inclusive education in the Republic of Kazakhstan, including: class sizes in regular schools, different curricula in special and regular education, psychological – medical- pedagogical commission, the method of delivery of medical and other services, the “defectology” model (which at base is medical in its approach, and highly seg- regationist) and a lack of adaptable pedagogy. Attitudes held by professionals to inclusion are for the most part negative (OECD, 2009).  

To consider all over above it should be noted that Kazakhstan is doing just first steps towards inclusive society and inclusive human development. In this respect, personally I would admit that for the short period of time Kazakhstani achievement in inclusive education overall is positive and progressive.

References: 

Bridges, D. (2014). Toward inclusive education. Swimming against the tide of educational reform.  Rouse, M. Yakavets, N. & Kulakhmetova, A. (Eds.), Educational reform and internationalization: the case of school reform in Kazakhstan. (pp.196-213). UK: Cambridge University Press.   

OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) (2009) Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan; Students with Special Needs and Those with Disabilities. Paris: OECD

UNESCO (United National Educational Scientific Cultural Organization) (2005). Guidelines for Inclusion: Enshuring Access to Education for All. Paris: UNESCO.