October 03, 2011
Several months ago, IFP Alumni in Russia organized and participated in a major session of the 3rd Baikal Educational Forum in the Republic of Buryatia, where the topic of inclusive education is gaining new ground. IFP Program Coordinator Julia Sukhenko and IFP Alumna Rayma Saryaeva sent this report:
By Julia Sukhenko, IFP Russia Program Coordinator and Rayma Saryaeva, IFP Alumna journalist
Last November, the Moscow State Pedagogical University hosted an IFP alumni seminar as part of their International Tutor Conference. During that event, alumni were given the opportunity to participate in panel discussions on contemporary changes to education in Russia. At this meeting, alumni raised questions about tutorial support in inclusive education, as well as the development of individual educational plans for people with disabilities.
Half a year later, what began as an IFP-led conversation on inclusive education turned into a major component of the 3rd Baikal Educational Forum, held on July 1-4, 2011 in Ulan-Ude, the capital of the Republic of Buryatia, Russia, home to a large portion of Buryat ethnic minority groups.
Organized and led by IFP Alumni Galina Gorbatykh (left) and Erzhena Budaeva (right), the IFP
Section of the conference invited Alumni Association members and experts to explore new ways of incorporating inclusive education in Russia and Buryatia, taking into account the region’s diversity and possibilities for people with disabilities.
Alumni laid out their objectives clearly: they were there to share their knowledge and experience on best tutorial practices for disabled children and adults, and to help develop new inclusive education programs and organizational forms of cooperation in Buryatia and other parts of Russia. Since Buddhism is the leading religion in Buryatia, the section also included a visit to the temple Ivolginsky Datsan, the main Buddhism center in Russia.
With a focus on secondary education, key issues in the Forum included access to and innovation in high quality education, independent evaluation processes, and integrated educational development. It is noteworthy that Buryatia has become one of the leaders in creating and maintaining a non-barrier educational environment across Russia. A primary school in the town of Kyahta, is one example: it is equipped with the necessary lifts, ramps, and specialized hand-rails to meet disabled schoolchildren’s needs.
Critical to the success of the Baikal Forum and to the overall campaign for non-barrier educational development are leading disability advocates and IFP alumni Erzhena Budaeva and Galina Gorbatykh. They are making enormous efforts to
implement inclusive education in the Buryatia Republic. Due to their ceaseless work and efforts, modifications were made in Russia legislation concerning the defense of rights of people with disabilities. About nine new laws were passed, a map of accessibility in the area of Ulan-Ude city was created for disabled residents, and more than 800 ramps were built in the city.
A number of other dedicated IFP Alumni are working diligently to promote access to education for disabled children in the region. Svetlana Kozyreva, Director of the Psychological, Medical and Social Center of the city of Perm, talked about the lack of educational facilities for special needs children. In Perm there are about 2,156 disabled children; about 1,147 of them do not have adequate access to education, and are therefore not in school.
The good news is that today, educational reforms in many countries are closely connected with inclusiveness, because of the development of a global human rights agenda and a growing recognition of the value of human capital. The Baikal Forum was a big step in the right direction.
Rayma Saryaeva has a master’s degree in Social & Health Journalism Hochschule Magdeburg-Stendal University. Julia Sukhenko is Program Coordinator for IFP’s Partner Program in Russia, based at the Institute of International Education in Moscow.
Photos:
Top - IFP Alumna and prominent disability rights advocate Veronika Ivanova (foreground) attends the Baikal Forum.
Middle - IFP Alumni and Forum Organizers Galina Gorbatykh and Erzhena Budaeva.
Bottom - IFP Alumnus Andrey Terov sits with Alumna Elena Kurzaeva.