ФГБОУВПО
“Воронежский государственный университет” факультет романо-германской филологии
МКОУ
лицей №11 г. Россоши Россошанского муниципального района Воронежской области
Реферат
Special
Education in Russia in comparison with the British System of Special Education
Исполнитель:
Усачева Алина Олеговна
Ученица 11 “Б” класс
МКОУ лицей №11 г. Россоши
Научный руководитель:
Савченко Алла Владимировна,
учитель английского языка ВКК,
сертификат ТКТ Кембриджского Университета
Россошь
2015
Table of Contents:
Introduction………………………………………………………………3
Chapter I. Special
Education in Present Day Britain………………….6
1.1.
Meeting Special Education Needs…………………………………7
1.2. Statement of
Education Needs………………………………………8
1.3. Conflict Resolution…………………………………………………..9
Chapter II. Russia’s
System of Special Education…………………....10
2.1. Growth and
Development of Special Education in Russia……...10
2.2. Special Education in
Russia: Present Day………………………..11
2.3. Results of the
Comparison between the Systems of Special Education in Russia and Great
Britain………………………………..13
Chapter III. Promoting
Inclusive Education. Perspectives of Inclusive Education………………………………………………………………..15
3.1. Research: Methods
and Findings…………………………………15
Conclusion and Recommendations
Section…………………………...20
Reference List…………………………………………………………...22
Appendices………………………………………………………………24
Introduction
''Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of
it.'' Helen Keller ( an American author, who was the first deaf-blind person
to earn a bachelor of Arts degree)
Education
in Russia has come a long way from the traditional concepts and their teachings
to the introduction of new technologies to adjust, to the great changes brought
about by a globalized world. However, one area that is still far from keeping pace
with rapid world changes is the area of special education. Furthermore, little
research has been done about special education services in
Russia.
According
to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 10% of
Russia's population have disabilities. About 25% of these citizens with
disabilities are children of school age. For decades, the society tried to hide
disabled children and adults, confining them to correctional institutions and
boarding schools. According to some figures, only one-third of the disabled
children are enrolled in schools for students with disabilities, while most go
to regular schools meaning that over 70% of school aged students with
disabilities are either at home or in regular schools with little or no specialized
assistance. However, 340 000 children with disabilities are deprived of
education and, therefore, of the chance to live better.
In
2008, Russia signed The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
which guarantees the education of children with disabilities and provides an
inclusive education. This means that our schools need to be equipped
accordingly and have specialists around to assist children. The mother of a
five-year-old girl Nastya, who has a mild form of Cerebral Palsy and autism, says
that access is not only a problem with schools but also with kindergartens.
In
fact, very few children with mental retardation receive services .In most
cases, it is difficult to identify mental retardation, since IQ tests are not
given in school, but instead entrance examinations are given to determine if
the student can move to the next class or remain in the same class. Children
with mild retardation are hard to identify, and also it is not clearly defined,
what IQ is termed intelligent or gifted and what is termed as a mental
disability. Those with severe disabilities are put in special schools,
residential homes or institutions for children with mental retardations also
known as children's homes. In these special schools, education is not an
essential issue; most of the students are not taught self help skills with the
result that these children are dependent most, if not all, of their lives.
Nevertheless,
public awareness of disability issues and political commitment to addressing
them have slowly increased in Russia over the past decades. There has been a
marked expansion of measures to identify, support and 'treat' disabled people,
in particular, children, occurring against a background of prolonged general
economic and budgetary crisis.
Thus, this issue seems to
be very acute and needs much consideration.
The purpose of the study
My
inspiration to do this type of research came after I joined Rossosh Volunteer Youth
club “Prometei” which deals with the social activities for the local disabled
children and teenagers. What is more, this issue appeals to me because I have
made up mind to become a teacher of a foreign language and help children
broaden their knowledge about the world. I am fully aware of the difficulties
of my future work. But I hope I will be suited to the profession I have chosen.
The purpose of the investigation into the problem is to consider
the importance of the special education system and how to improve special
education services in the public school system in Russia in comparison with the
British system of special education. The reason for this comparison was in
order for me to get best practice in the British system of special education
that could be adapted to the Russian system, to improve the quality of
education for children with disabilities in Russia.
The objectives of the
work
1. to
develop skills of research work and their application to the solution of actual
practical tasks;
2. to
compare the systems of special education in Russia and Great Britain and reveal
similarities and differences of the two systems;
3. to
study the literature on the issue that is available on the Internet and in the
libraries and summarise the valuable information;
4. to
conduct a survey and discuss the results of our research paper at the school
conference;
5. to
share opinions with the teachers about the recommendations on how to improve
the learning process for children with special needs.
The object
of the investigation is Special Education.
The subject
of the investigation is the learning process in Russian and British schools.
The research paper
consists of introduction, three chapters, conclusion and recommendations
section, reference list and appendices.
Chapter
I
of this research paper deals with the current system of special education in
Great Britain. Chapter II will set the context for the development of
Russia’s special education standards by tracing the history of Soviet and
Russian special education, post-Soviet education reform and contemporary system
of education. Chapter III provides a practical perspective of Inclusive
Education. In conclusion I will summarize the results of my analysis and
offer recommendations on how to improve the System of Education for children
with special needs in Russia.
Chapter I. Special
Education in Present Day Britain
Special
education in Great Britain is the responsibility of the Government of the
United Kingdom and the term 'special educational needs ' is used to
describe the needs of children who need additional provision in order to make
progress. This includes children with moderate or severe learning difficulties
and physical, neurological or sensory disabilities (such as hearing, motor and
visual disabilities) as well as needs such as dyslexia, developmental
coordination disorder, autism, Asperger syndrome and attention-deficit
hyperactivity disorder(ADHD).
Special
education in Britain is protected under the Special Education Needs of
practice. This code gives guidelines to all practitioners as the local
authorities, government bodies in schools, and settings receiving government
funding to provide early childhood education, and also provides nursery
education to children with special needs (Teacher net,2008a).
The
main aim of the code is that, through its policies and guidelines, children
with special needs in education meet their full potential from childhood and
later transitioning into adulthood.
Children
with special educational needs have learning difficulties or disabilities that
make it harder for them to learn than most children of the same age. These
children may need extra or different help from that given to other children of
the same age group.
The
National Literacy and Numeracy strategies is an organization in Britain that
provides assistance to children to enable them to learn to read and write and
understand mathematics.
Schools
and other organizations can help most children overcome the barriers, their
difficulties present, quickly and easily. Special education in Britain is
guided by the following principle .All children with special education needs
should have their needs met, in mainstream early education settings and school
settings. The views of the parent and the child should be taken into account, and
the parent has a vital role in the development and progress of the child’s education
(Tomilinson, 1982).Children with special education needs should have a broad, well-balanced
education, to include the foundation-based curriculum offered to children aged
three to five and the National Curriculum for children aged five to sixteen (Teacher
net, 2008b).
In
Britain, a lot of emphasis is placed on early childhood, as they believe it is
at this stage that is easy to catch a disability in a child (Copeland, 2000).
1.1
Meeting Special Education Needs.
The
British SEN Code of practice recommends that schools and early education
settings follow a step-by- step graduated approach to provide services to
children with special needs. The graduated approach requires that, schools and
other early education settings take into account that since students learn at
different levels, teachers with the help of specialist expertise, use step by
step or task analysis to help with the difficult areas that a child could be
facing. Parental participation and consent are required prior to use of the
approach. The use of small groups or classroom modifications to fit the needs
of the child may be used in a graduated approach. The teacher has the
responsibility of finding different approaches to assist the child in attaining
his or her education goals, and an individualized Education Plan( IEP)
is written to show the plan that the teacher has for the child. The IEP shows
what special help the child is receiving, how often the child will receive the
help, who will provide the help, what targets have been set forth for the
child, how and when the child’s progress will be checked ,and what help the
parent can give the child at home. The teacher should discuss the IEP with the
parent and the child if possible. In most cases, the IEP is linked to areas
such as language, literacy, mathematics, behaviour and social skills. If in the
process of graduated approach, the child makes progress, he or she joins
the other students in regular education classroom. If the child does not make
progress, the teacher or Special Education Needs Coordinator ( who is person in
the school or preschool who coordinates help for children with special
education needs), talks to the parent about alternative help from outside
school. Outside assistance may include visiting a specialist teacher, an
educational psychologist, a speech and language therapist, or other health
professionals. The parent has the role of deciding what services their child
will receive. If the child is found to have a disability, then special needs
services will be recommended by the school. If the parent does not agree with
the settings or the school, she or he has the authority to appeal this through
the Local Authority or a local parent partnership service. The local parent
partnership service provides support and advice to parents, whose children have
special education needs. The Local Authority provides the parent with a local
parent partnership service where they will be able to receive independent
advice and support.
If
the LA carries out the assessment, they will ask for extra services from other
professionals like the child’s school and early education settings, school
psychologist, doctor, social services and any persons concerned with the
child’s needs. The parent has the right to be present at any interview. Once
the assessment is done, the Local Authority develops a statement of education
needs, also known as a statement.
1.2
Statement of Education Needs
The
statement will describe all the child’s special education needs, and the help
he or she should receive. The LA will also write a statement if they decide
that the help the child needs cannot be provided in the school setting in which
he or she is currently enrolled. This statement will include information on
about monetary resources, staff and equipment. The statement has the child’s
demographics (name, address, date of birth, religion and home language).
It
also has all the advice the LA received as part of assessment. What is more, a
draft of written statement is sent to the parents before a final statement is
written. The parent has the right to state which state school they want their
child to attend, either in a mainstream school or special school. The LA must
agree with the parent’s preferences as long as the school is age appropriate, provides
services suitable for the child’s ability, skills and special education needs, the
presence of the child in school does not interfere with the learning of other
students and there are enough funds and resources for the child.
The
LA will make a final statement within some period of time and a copy of the
statement is sent to the parents and the schools provided in part four of the
final statement.
1.3
Conflict Resolution
If
the parent disagrees with the statement, the parent should seek advice from the
named officer in the LA’s office for an explanation. Consultation with the
local parent partnership is also recommended.
If
the parents are moving, they should tell the previous child’s school and the
LA. They should also talk to the present LA about the needs of the child and
the best way to ensure that the student’s needs will continue to be met.
The
new LA then makes sure that the child gets all the special education needs as
set out in the statement .Education for children with special needs in Britain
does not end at age of sixteen. Depending on child's interests, strengths and
abilities, the child can continue on in the ordinary school or special school, or
he can move on to a college or into vocational training. In Britain, the year
nine annual review is the most important in the preparation for children with
special needs to receive for transition to adulthood and college life. At this
point, vocational rehabilitation services use reviews in the statement of
special education needs to place the students in programs depending on their
strengths. The review among other things places concerns on the child’s
transition to adulthood. The transition plan must be completed by the
head teacher after the review meeting. To sum up, in Britain children with
disabilities are treated individually depending on their strengths and
weaknesses, and an IEP system and system of services introduced in the country
help to provide for their needs. What is more, the system of identification,
assessment of strengths and weaknesses, teachers are important components in
assisting the individual child with disabilities to achieve self-reliance and
independence.
Chapter
II. Russian’s System of Special Education
The
state of post-Soviet special education has attracted only a modest amount of
attention in English language literature. The Russian academic press has
prioritized specialist aspects of pedagogical practice and innovation with
children with special education needs, and the broad discussion of policy and
practice directions. There is very little academic literature in Russian or
English that takes a medium-range view, with examples of local structures and
practice-level view points. The chapter begins with a brief overview of the
systemic and theoretical legacy of the Russian special education system.
2.1
Growth and development of special Education in Russia
Soviet
facilities for children with learning difficulties were highly praised by
Western observers for two main reasons: their specialist knowledge base and
perceived results. Development in the special school system and curriculum were
explicitly research-driven with Moscow’s Institute of Defectology (now called the
Institute for Correctional Pedagogy) deeply involved in research and practice
through the journal Defectologia.
The
most striking feature of the Soviet system of education and services for
children with learning difficulties was the degree of segregation it involved. The
Soviet practice was distinguished by the diversity of educational services, the
principle of differentiation.
How
has the «political commitment» to addressing disability issues in post-Soviet
Russia manifested itself? Through the perestroika period in the late 1980s a
disability movement raised public awareness of the existence of disabled people
and their rights. A legislative framework for establishing the definition of
disability, of disabled people’s rights and of special education emerged
gradually from that period to the mid 1990s.The 1996 Russian Federation Law ” On
the social protection of disabled people” brought policy on
disability together under one rubric for the first time. It brought to disabled
children and adults the concept of special rights to economic and social
protection, education and health interventions, and the right to equal
participation in society. Legal recognition and protection can also help to
oppose oppression and discrimination. The presence of a Russian Federation Law
relating specifically to disabled people and their rights and the intention at
least to address special education specifically through the legislative process
is significant.
2.2
Special Education in Russia: Present Day
My
intention to analyze continuities and changes in Russian special education
provision is focused on the concept of inclusive education, which should
provide the basis for further development of this type of education. However,
public awareness of disability issues and political commitment to addressing
them have slowly increased in Russia over the past decades. Russian legislation
does not prohibit education of disabled persons in mass educational
institutions but the regulation of the process of inclusive education is
mostly carried out on the regional which does not provide the adequate legal
regulation of the concerned process. Integration is a natural stage of
development of special education, but in modern Russian conditions inclusive
education must be considered not as the only but as one of possible ways of
education of children with special needs. The main type of educational
institution for children with special needs must be a composite educational
institution which provides an effective and accessible level of integration
according to the level of psychological and verbal development of the child. In
Russia today special education is a complex system of different types of
school, vocational colleges and institutions. It includes kindergartens for
children from three to six years old, special boarding schools with 10 years of
study and vocational schools with three years of study. There are also nursing
homes for children and adolescents with a diagnosis of severe mental
impairment. According to many experts, disabled children and young adults face
significant bureaucratic and social barriers to education. At the present time integrated
education could be considered as the priority of state educational policy
in Russia. The transition to inclusive education is predetermined by
Russia’s ratification of UN conventions on children and disability rights:”Today,
occasional wheelchair ramps can be seen in Russian cities, limited assistive
devices are being produced locally ,employment programs for disabled people
have been launched in several Russian cities, and a handful of integrated
pre-school programs have been initiated in a few Russian cities. Finally, the Kremlin
officials have publicly acknowledged the huge problem of inaccessibility and
the lack of federal support provided to the disability community”. The past 15
to 20 years have been a period of lively debate about special education in
Western Europe and North America. It is particularly interesting to examine the
impact of those debates on a system which has been characterized by an
apparently distinctive, scientific approach. Although the continuing influence
of Defectology was dominant in systemic characteristics and professionals’
accounts, there were indications of changing values. It also needs to be
recognized that very recent studies have underlined the fact that there is by
no means a consensus among similar professional groups on practical integration
/ inclusion in the Russian Federation.
Frequently,
teachers referred to integration when they meant, not administrative but social
integration in a wide sense. Social integration means an aspect of
education whereby disabled and non-disabled students share leisure time and
space within the education system.
Used
in this context , integration was reflected in practice not by ensuring
that disabled school children shared time and space with their non-disabled
peers, but «integrating» disabled children into society at large: «We try to
look at the child as a whole with the aim to integrate him into society as a
valued person. You could look at our children in the street or on public
transport and not think there was anything wrong with them, they talk and
behave like any other person.»(Petrova I.,1998)
In conclusion, the most important concern is that the education system remains
unchangeable when it integrates a child with special needs who succeeds in
graduating to a regular school only due to enormous energy spent by parents and
teachers. This often leads to burnout effects and to withdrawal of the child
from the regular school setting. Successful inclusion practices depend
on restructured schools that allow for flexible curricula and instruction. Sufficient
support staff, helping professionals should be employed to address the social,
emotional and cognitive needs of all students. Many experts believe the
greatest obstacle preventing disabled Russian children and young adults from
fully integrating into society is discrimination in equal access to education.
What is more, while planning policy measures for social integration, the
wider context of inclusion has to be taken into account, with regards to family
issues, employment opportunities, availability of natural supportive networks
such as circles of relatives, friends and neighbours and networks of
professional helpers. Mass media have a role to play also in regards to social
inclusion, as the predominant image portrayed of disabled people is
associated with weakness and misery.
2.3.
Results of the Comparison between the Systems of Special Education in Russia
and Great Britain
After reviewing both
the Russian and the British systems of special education there were some
similarities and differences that I found. This section reports those
similarities and differences to provide a basis for the recommendations that
would improve special education in Russia. Parental involvement.
In the British system of special education, parents are greatly involved in the
decision making related to the child’s special needs. In Russia, however, this
is not the case. The child is sent to school and the responsibility for the
child’s education is left to the teacher. Categories of Special education.
The British system of special education provides services for all students with
disabilities. In Russia, the system concentrates more on those students with
physical disabilities. Government involvement. In both systems
the government is greatly involved in setting up systems to meet the needs of
the child with special needs. Individualized Education Plan.
Regarding an individualized education plan, the difference between the two
systems is the presence of an individualized education plan in the British
system and the lack of one in Russia. The British system has realized that
different children with disabilities have different needs and goals, one has to
look at the strengths and work on the weaknesses. Problems Arising from
the Russian System of Education. From the research, I
identified some problems in the Russian system of special education. One of
these is the lack of specially trained teachers and professionals. Lack of
parental participation in the education of the child is another major problem
facing Russia. Lack of funds and poor technology are other problems facing the
educational system in Russia. Corruption is a major problem that is also
affecting the field of education. In terms of relationship with peers many
disabled children do not have good peer relationship and they are often
teased and bullied.
Chapter
III. Promoting Inclusive Education. Perspectives of Inclusive Education
The
new law ‘On Education in RF’expands the State guarantees for free education.
Moreover, the law is aimed at enabling children with disabilities to learn at
common schools. The new law gives priority to inclusive education, which
imagines education for children with disabilities as not in a specialized but
common institution. Nevertheless, these children can choose to attend
specialized institution as before.
[The
Federal law of the Russian Federation from the 29th of December of
2012 №273-Ф3 “On Education in
Russian Federation”] According to the law, inclusive education is
a guarantee of equal access to education for all pupils and students
considering their different educational demands and individual capabilities.
The
main question is how to give the child with special development not only a rich
social experience, but also develop his or her educational demands to the full
extent in a way that the participation of such a child would not decrease the
general level of education of other children. In this way, the question shifts
from the ideological dimension to an organizational, scientific-methodical and
investigational one.
According
to the statistics provided by the government, the number of schools in which
barrier-free environment for pupils with disabilities will be created, will
grow in the next five years from 1.200 to 10.000
3.1.
Research: Methods and Findings
The
research on the issue ‘Perspectives of inclusive education in Russia’
was conducted in a small industrial town, Rossosh, located in the south of
Voronezh region. The research design represents a multi-methodological model
and includes three types of studies:
·
a
case study of a disabled child in a regular school;
·
a
series of interviews with school administrators and teachers;
·
a
questionnaire survey of school students.
These
were the different stages of the single research project with the aim to
explore the current social and cultural context for the policy of special
education and inclusion in order to outline some recommendations and
prospects for inclusion.
Our
school is a regular secondary one which hosts only three students with special
educational needs.
We
interviewed Olga Shapovalova, aged 17, and her father to explore practices of
socialization for children with motor impairments at a regular school.
Olga
suffers from a severe form of Cerebral Palsy and she has difficulty walking.
Her twin sister was born deaf and dumb and she attends a special residential
school in the town of Bobrov. The girls were brought up by their father as the
mother died soon after the girls’ birth. Shapovalova Olga is involved in both
home schooling and distant studies. She is attended by the teachers at home and
as a result, she is deprived of communicating with peers. Although, Olga
experiences some difficulties in school, such as difficulty with handwriting,
carrying out school activities, communicating verbally and interacting
socially, she understands how important education is and thinks about getting a
university degree. She dreams of having a future profession. Her father says
that the biggest challenge a disabled child faces when he or she gets into the
building of a school is from other children’s reactions. He thinks that ‘We
have to start early because if children get used to seeing the disabled right
next to them, they will learn to be more kind, more tolerant and caring.’
We
also explored the attitudes of contemporary mainstream school students towards
the idea of inclusive education. This type of research design used
multiple sources of evidences, such as observation, interviews, documentary
sources. The second aspect of the study involved interviews, conducted at
our school with the School Principal and her deputies and some teachers, to
find out the opinion of experts about inclusive education. The third
aspect, the survey, was focused on public attitudes towards inclusive
education. The questionnaires were distributed among the senior students of
our school. In total, 27 students took part in the survey. We managed to
conduct interviews with several teachers of Rossosh Lyceum №11 and asked for
their personal agreement about inclusion. Only 16% of teachers answered
‘Yes’ to the question, ’Would you personally like to see children with
motor impairments in the groups you work with?’, while 31.8% said
‘No’ and 51.3% had difficulty answering this question. This may be explained
through the fact that inclusionary policy would obviously have an impact on a
teacher’s professional position ( Table 1). However, both teachers and school
administrators answered similarly to the question ‘What prevents
inclusion?’, ranking the obstacles from the unadjusted physical environment
and inadequate financing of the schools, to the quality of teaching, lack of
specially adjusted educational programs, social inequality in a society, and
lack of a legislative base. It is necessary to notice that only a small
number of students never mentioned children with disabilities in our society. Approximately
40% have seen them in the street, 20% have been acquainted without any
communications, and 10% have been in touch with them. The analysis shows that
the closest contacts are between the respondents and children with motor
impairments (12.4%). Contacts between respondents and children with speech,
hearing and vision impairments occur rarely(4%). The fact that only a small
proportion of the school students could make acquaintance with disabled
children shows the limitations imposed by institutional frames, especially by
the structure of educational system.
The
dilemma of segregated special education is two-sided: on the one hand, it
helps to combine medical and teaching skills, on the other hand, it prevents
social integration of disabled children and promotes their segregation and
limitation in their life chances. Children and their parents are dissatisfied
with this situation, which is not in accordance with the reformative intention
s of the modern educational system in Russia .
But
as a whole, one can see the importance of a new approach to social policy. Inclusive
education provides the humanistic alternative and decreases the process of
marginalization of disabled children.
Inclusive
education during the process of introduction may run into the
organizational difficulties of physical barriers( ramps, one-storied school
buildings , availability of sign language interpreters, reconstructing of
public places ), and with such social obstacles as stereotypes and prejudices,
refusal to admit differing children into the group of peers.
The
school students feel the most tolerance towards children with motor impairments
and less to children with speech, hearing and vision impairments.
The
lowest level of tolerance concerns children with mental impairment – almost
half of the students wish them to study separately, at another school. It is
evident that we are dealing with deeply rooted stereotypes. (Table 2) This is
illustrated by the distribution of answers to the question about the possibility
of communication with disabled children. (Table 3) There are groups with
negative attitudes towards disability ( up to 5.9%) regarding children with
motor activity, speech, hearing, vision impairment, but the deepest intolerance
is mentioned toward children with mental delay. The research shows gender
differences in attitudes towards disabled children. Girls notice children with
disabilities more often, and they show a positive attitude , including towards
studying together and communicating.
Different
factors of tolerance include age, gender, social economic status of the family,
type of impairment and experience.The essential differences in opinion are
between those who haven`t seen disabled people in the street , and those who
have got relatives or friends with disability. About 35% of children who have
experience of contacts with disabled people are ready to study together in the
same class.
Though
intolerance to disability is demonstrated, the majority of respondents are
certain about the necessity of undertaking special measures for equality (85%).
Just as the answers point to the importance of experience of contacts with
disabled people, more than a half of respondents consider that there is a
need to assist in perceiving children with disabilities without prejudice, and
approximately 40 % are sure that it is necessary to help disabled children to
live and work without limitation in their movements – sound traffic lights,
ramps for wheelchairs, facilities in public places and transport.( Table 4)
The
administrators in the interviews supported integration in principle but
exclude children with mental impairment for inclusion policies .
They
stress the necessity for special education to remain for children with
severe disabilities and for orphans. The main difficulties of transition to inclusion,
according to those interviewed, include lack of a legislative base for the
implementation of inclusive education as well as an inadequate financial
base for the education system, which prevents proper staffing and technical
development. School administrators and teachers believe that children with
motor impairments are to be integrated first – they can «normally» keep up with
the curriculum, however, they think that those in wheelchairs will not be
capable as they are limited in mobility. To introduce inclusion,
according to the experts, the state budget for the overall educational system
needs to increase and non - state funds need to be raised.
Conclusion
In the context of the
social and economic transformation of the last 10 years in Russia, the system
of education for children with motor impairments has experienced changes but at
the same time it reproduces Soviet stereotypes and educational discources. The
main goal of this system is to educate individuals who can cope with daily
needs. However, the policies of special education for children with
disabilities marginalize children and limit their social orientations and
perspectives. The opinions of the key actors of the educational system -
teachers, parents and children- are favourable towards the idea of inclusion
as a project. At the same time ,when it comes to real life situations, very
practical concerns arise, which hinder the true inclusion of children. The
most important concern is that the education system remains unchangeable
when it integrates a child with special needs who succeeds in graduating to a
regular school only due to enormous energy spent by parents and teachers. Successful
inclusion practices depend on restructured schools that allow for flexible
learning environments, with flexible curricula and
instruction.
Recommendations
Based on the information
presented above, the Russian system of special education needs both long and
short-term changes. From the research , the aim of special education in
Britain is to enable children with special needs in education to meet their
full potential from childhood to adulthood. Parents are greatly involved in
their children’s education and participate in decision-making. It can be
concluded that there is public awareness in terms of what has
been put in place for children who have disabilities. After comparing the
Russian system to the British system of education, I concluded that the
following steps are highly recommended to improve the education of children
with disabilities in Russia and prepare those children with disabilities to
live independently. Public awareness should be an essential step in
offering solutions to the problem. There should be a change in the public
attitude towards people with disabilities from rejection to acceptance and
understanding.
Teachers should be
trained to cope with the needs of the child with special needs. Schools should
be proactive in making changes or reforms to cater for disabled students’
needs. This can be achieved by formulating long-term plans and policy on the
curricula and accommodation for such students.
In addition, teachers
need the curriculum designed to address the individual needs of children with
disabilities.To sum up, more research should be conducted in all areas of special
education. These include areas like the psychological effects of each
disability, medical needs of children with disabilities, the sociological
adjustments in the community, vocational needs and employment in the community
and independence strategies.
Reference
List
Bart, D.S. (1984) `The
differential diagnosis of special education: managing pathology as individual
disability’, in Special Education and Social Interests, eds L.
Barton L.S, Tomlinson, Croom Helm, London.
Bassey, M (1999) Case
Study Research in Education setting,Open University Press, Buckingham, PA.
BBC News
(2003)` Russia «abuses children`s rights». Human rights group Amnesty
International has accused Russia of violanting the human rights of children
with learning disabilities? BBC News, Thursday 2 Oct. 2003, Available at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/
Connexious – direct
(2009). Connexios direct information and advice for young people Retrieved
March 13, 2009, from http://www.connexions-direct.com/index.cfm
Copeland, I.C (2000).
Special education needs in primary and secondary school brochures in England. European
Journal of Special Needs Education, 15 (3), 241-254.
Directgov (2009a).
Special education needs Retrived March 09,2009, from
http:/www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/schoolslearninganddevelopment/specialEducationalNeeds/index.htm
Dyson, A (1995). Dilemmas,
contradictions and democracy: Models in the governance of special needs
education in England and Wales. Newcastle , UK: University of Newcastle
upon Tyne.
Florian, L. (2008).
Special or Inclusive education Future trends. British Journal of special
Education, 35(4), 202-208
Kersher, R &
Chaplain, R (2001) Understanding Special Education Needs, A Teacher`s
Guide to Effective school – based Research, David Fulton Publishers,
London.
Petrova,I. (1998)`
Children and youth with special needs in Russia, and educational services to
meet them `,Education and Treatment of Children, vol.21, no.3,
pp. 412-423.
Salisbury,C.L.,Palombaro,
M.M. & Hollowood,W.M. (1993) `On the nature and change of an inclusive
elementary school`, The Journal of the Association for person with
severe Handicaps,vol.18,pp. 77-84.
Shea, T.M.& Bauer,
A.M/ (1997) An Intriduction to special Education. A Social Systems Perspective
2nd- edn, Brown & Benchmark,Madison,WI.
Stout,K.S.(2001) Special
Education Inclusion, WEAC Education Issues Series Available at:
http:// www.weac.org/resource/june96/speced.htm,updated
5 Nov.2001
Verhbow,A.(2004) Toward
Greater Educational Access for the Disabled, Inclusive Education:
Problems and Perspectives , Conference, Moscow, 24 June 2004. Available
at:http://moscow.usembassy.gov/bilateral/statement.php.record_id=100
Will,M.C.(1986) Educaticating
children with learning problems : a shared responsibility,
Exceptional Children ,vol.52,pp.411-415.
Национальная
образовательная инициатива ‘Наша новая школа’
от 04 февраля 2010г. Пр-27[ Электронный ресурс]// Министерство образования и
науки РФ:[сайт]. URL:http://mon.gov.ru/dok/akt/6591/
Отношение к детям –инвалидам
[ электронный ресурс]//Сайт для людей с ограниченными возможностями здоровья
'Дверь в мир':[сайт]. URL:http:doorinworld.ru/stati/434-otnoshenie-k-detyam-invalidam
Appendices
Would
require retraining
|
49.4%
|
Will experience no change
|
20.1%
|
Would easily adjust
|
14.5%
|
Would not adjust
|
6%
|
Hard to say
|
10%
|
Table 1. How would inclusion
affect a teacher's professional position?
Table 2. Are there persons with disabilities among your
friends or relatives?
I have/had
a good friend/relative
|
12.2%
|
Knew one person, but did not communicate closely
|
18.1%
|
Saw in the street
|
40.5%
|
No
|
29.1%
|
Table 3. What do you think of integration with disabled
children in the same school?
Agree to
study together in the same class
|
65.3%
|
Agree to study together in the same school but not in the
same class
|
19.4%
|
Let them study in a separate school
|
15.3%
|
Table 4. What about your communication with disabled
children?
I'd come
up and do things together
|
63.8%
|
I prefer to stand aside, but if necessary I'll
communicate
|
30%
|
I don't want to deal with
|
5.6%
|
The interview with Shapovalova Olga, a
disabled teenager
Full name: Shapovalova Olga
Date of birth: 14.11.1997
Family: Father – Shapovalov
Gennadi, 58, an engineer
Twin-sister-Ann (deaf and dumb),
a student of a special school in Bobrov
Elder sister – Helen, (33), a
shopkeeper, divorced
Niece – Kseniya (7) a pupil at
primary school
Hobbies: cooking, reading, surfing the Net
Education: Home, schooling (Rossosh Lyceum №11)
distant studies
Favorite subjects: the Russian Language (However, she
has great difficulties learning Math and Physics
Friends: no friends among peers but has some pen pals
Wishes: would like to make some friends
Alina: Can you tell me
about your background – where you grew up and how your disability impacted you?
Olga: Frankly speaking,
I don’t like speaking about my personal experiences growing up with a
disability, and how it has affected my life. But I should say that although I
have cerebral Palsy, which affects muscle and skeletal developments and thus
makes mobility difficult, I have learnt to adapt and enjoy life.
Alina: What is the impact
of globalization on people with disabilities?
Olga: Well, I would be
positive about it. First of all, it gives you a larger family, in sense that
you belong to so many other people and the very fact that there are so many
attempts to solve the problems of disabled people is a result of a globalized
effort.
The social activities of Rossosh volunteer
youth club “Prometei”
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