From May 23 to June 1, 2024, an International Seminar-Training on the discussion of the “Model of Inclusive Education” was held in Astana. This event aimed to meet the educational needs of all children and to teach them in a physically and psychologically safe and inclusive environment, tailored to the specific needs of the child, including support for students from rural areas.
This model has been developed considering a multitude of epistemological examples to achieve psychological and pedagogical goals for all students, particularly for those with special educational needs (SEN). It aims not merely at some improvement of individual students but at achieving the most optimal results. The model is designed to help educators and specialists understand the key elements of various theories, approaches, and practices, and to select the most suitable ones for each group of students, including university students. It also facilitates the adoption of an inclusive education ideology, which promotes equal educational opportunities for all students, taking into account the main international practices in inclusive education, as well as contemporary practices, strategies, methodologies, and methods aimed at helping students fully realize their potential.
The training was conducted by international scholars and experts: Dr. Apostolia (Lia) Galani, Associate Professor of Pedagogy and Primary Education at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA); Dr. Lia Tsermidou, PhD in Special and Inclusive Education; Petros Galanis, Master in Education; Rauan Sagadiyeva, Master of Pedagogy and Psychology; Shynar Aktanova, Chairperson of the National Public Association “Union of Parents of Special Children,” Master in Educational Leadership and Inclusive Education from Nazarbayev University; Giorgi Turdzheladze, Bachelor in International Economics from Georgian Technical University, and others.
The training was attended by faculty members from the Pedagogy Department of the “Bolashaq” Academy: Head of the Department, Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Master Alua Sabitovna Abdrakhmanova; Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor Zhanat Mukhamedkhanovna Mamerkhanova; Senior Lecturers Roza Mazrapovna Zhanisbaeva, Kalimash Amangeldievna Sarbasova, Samal Kemelbayeva Mekadilova, and Evgenia Andreevna Alekseeva.
The main goal of the International Seminar-Training on the implementation of inclusive education was:
- Establishing specialized services to meet the psychological and pedagogical needs of students with special educational needs (SEN).
- Providing targeted support to address the unique needs of students with SEN.
- Promoting the creation of an inclusive learning environment that considers diverse learning characteristics.
Based on the results of the training, proposals were made to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan regarding mechanisms aimed at supporting students with special educational needs in universities, taking into account international trends and experience.
Head of the Pedagogy Department, A.S. Abdrakhmanova
