INCLUSIVE CULTURE IN SCHOOLS: HOW EKR EDUCATION LEADERS ARE ADOPTING FOREIGN EXPERIENCE

S. Amanzholov East Kazakhstan University held a seminar for school principals of the regional centre on the topic: “Management of the educational process in the conditions of inclusive education: Modern approaches and experience”.

Today, more than 12,000 children with special educational needs live in the regional centre. Education in the city’s schools is provided to 2010 children with special educational needs and disabilities, 351 of whom have disabilities. Every year the growth of children covered by inclusive education increases. If in 2022 their number was 929 children, this year the figure has grown to 1278.

Is an inclusive culture forming in schools? How coherent is the work of the whole school staff in the inclusive process? Do teachers interact properly with parents and the special child? Is the right level of support being provided?

These and other questions of modern approach and experience of inclusive education were discussed by specialists in the regional centre of East Kazakhstan.

-Over the last three years two Early Intervention Centres have been opened on the basis of Centre of Mother and Child. The state centre “Kamkorlyk” was opened. The Local Government “Rehabilitation Centre” is operating. Within the limits of the state order private public organisations work: “Demeu”, ‘”Wonderland”, “Markhabat”, “Miras”, rendering services on adaptive sports and speech therapy services, – the deputy akim of Ust-Kamenogorsk city Irina Smith informed.

In order to solve problems of development of the child and to provide efficiency of his education and adaptation in 20 schools of the city the rooms of support of inclusion and resource centres are opened. Not so long ago on the basis of PUI “Secondary school №23 named after M. Shayakhmetov” with the support of the Fund ‘Dara’ opened an inclusive room. In 2023, with the support of Kazzinc LLP, a support room for children with autism spectrum disorders also opened its doors in PUI ‘Secondary School No. 36’.

-There are quite a lot of general education schools that today include this process, but there is not enough management leverage. That is, the mechanism to practically implement the model 100% has not been fully developed. There is a wonderful experience in Finland, where a child does not feel any barriers, a teacher-assistant deals with him, and the classroom is quite harmonious atmosphere, which gives a feeling of complete success,’ said Irina Rovnyakova, Vice-Rector for Strategic Development and International Cooperation of S. Amanzholov East Kazakhstan University.

It is noted that the number of full-time teacher assistant units increased from 49 units in 2021 in six educational organisations to 124 units in 2024 in 33 educational organisations. The number of teachers working with SEN children increased by almost 44% from 1612 teachers in 2022 to 707 teachers in 2024.

Today, in all city schools the equipment with ramps makes 100 per cent.

In addition, during the discussion the representatives of education touched upon the aspects of formation of inclusive culture in schools.

– Work on the formation of an inclusive culture should be inextricably linked to the development of inclusive conditions. Culture is one of the highest priorities. Therefore, it is necessary to work constantly with the child’s relatives, to create a comfortable climate around the child, to provide emotional support to parents, to monitor the quality of service provision. For example, the ‘School for All’ mechanism needs to be more widely disseminated. It is also necessary to introduce a social and pedagogical model that ensures the rights of students with special educational needs to quality education,‘ said Svetlana Krivitskaya, Director of PUI “Boarding School ”Ak Niyet’ of the Education Department of East Kazakhstan region.