In present day realities when many countries are joining global educational space, challenges of humanization of all spheres of society, recognition of an individual as the highest value in supporting his or her educational needs and interests have gained much importance. The recent decade has seen the rise in discussion and research in inclusive education and ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities in society. Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe with a unique experience of social, cultural and educational development that can be invaluable for the global community, especially now, when humanity once again faces the existential crisis of identity, relation and connection.
Quite a number of countries have already gained considerable experience how to teach students with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities (SEND) in a safe and nurturing environment. The United Nation Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons was adopted in 1975 in order to overcome stereotypes towards people with disabilities and assist to develop their abilities in the most varied fields of activities and of promoting their integration as far as possible in normal life.1 In the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a considerable attention is devoted to children with disabilities. In particular, Article 6 states that every child should enjoy the inherent right to life, thus the development and well-being of the child must be ensured by the state. Article 23 recognizes the right of a child with intellectual or physical disability to enjoy a full and decent life, in conditions that ensure dignity, promote self-reliance and facilitate the child’s active participation in the community.2
Steps taken to promote the rights of persons with disabilities at the international level have proven to be an important impetus for the development of national legislations. Many countries, in particular in Western Europe and North America, had established regional and national systems for protecting rights of persons with disabilities by the end of the twentieth century. Just a few examples: The Americans with Disability Act came into force in the United States in 1990, Ukraine’s Law On the Fundamentals of Social Security of the Persons with Disabilities was adopted in 1991, the Disability Discrimination Act came into effect in 1995 in Great Britain, and the Polish Sejm approved the Charter of Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 1997. It is not a coincidence that the UN General Assembly proclaimed the years of 1993–2003 the first Asian and the Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities. Systemic policies have been in place to stop all forms of discrimination of people with disabilities, including obtaining education.
Inclusive education is a logical and just way of changing the system of general and special education and one of the main drivers of social integration. In this regard, many countries improve their legislative and regulatory framework, securing the right to quality education for all. The laws and regulations are to eliminate the barriers, empower students with SEN and their parents and create legal, socio-economic, psychological, academic, physical and infrastructural conditions to integrate them into society.
Current education reforms in Ukraine and other countries require qualitatively new changes in organization and effective management of an inclusive learning environment. The number of children with SEND increases every year, which means that the number of inclusive classes and schools grows. Thus, inclusion of persons with disabilities, supported by best international practices and experience, expands every year.
Hence, the organization of an inclusive learning environment in Ukraine is a progressive tendency of reforming the educational system. It is worth mentioning that the number of teaching assistants in inclusive classes is increasing every year. For instance, in the academic year 2017–2018 as compared to 2016–2017, the number of teaching assistants increased by 104.5%. In 2018, the government allocated subventions (grants) to inclusive schools for providing special education services aimed at pedagogical, psychological, instructional and developmental support (services) and for purchasing special aids and equipment. The total amount of subventions for supporting students with special educational needs amounted to 404.5 million Ukraine hryvnias (UAH), and the inclusive-resource centers received 100 million UAH for purchasing special equipment. However, the financing needs to be increased in the long term to develop infrastructure on the principles of universal design, improve teacher training, maintain systems of support and more.
Therefore, an important task of the national education systems in the context of European integration is to meet educational needs of ALL, including those with SEND, supporting their living, studying, being active in their communities and interacting with their families and friends in a diverse social environment. This aim is to be reached by the systemic approach towards organization of teaching students with disabilities while ensuring the fundamental
Olena Budnyk
Notes
Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 3447 (XXX) of 9 December 1975 URL: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/RightsOfDisabledPersons.aspx
Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) URL: https://www.unhcr.org/uk/4aa76b319.pdf