HIGHER EDUCATION IN UKRAINE:

FROM INTEGRATION TO INCLUSION

Dr. Kateryna Kolchenko

President Adviser for Inclusion, Open International University

of Human Development ‘Ukraine

According to Human Rights Organisations Alliance

'Save the Children” about 15% ofall school-children are excluded

from general school system because of its inability to meet the individual needs of such children

The situation in higher education is not much better.

Universities exclude not only those 15%

but also many students who have received

secondary education

Historically the integration of some students with disability began in the USSR in the 1930s and continued

spontaneously only due to persistence and courage of

students themselves and their parents

In 1930-th Bauman Moscow Technical University

first officially opened its doors to students with hearing impairments.

Students studied in separated learning groups with appropriate pedagogical

accommodation and occasionally they had contact with other students (dormitory, café,

sport groups, cultural events)

Present stage of integration in Ukraine started only in 1999

when the Open International University of Human Development

‘Ukraine’ (University ‘Ukraine’)was founded

Open International University of Human Development ‘Ukraine’

(University ‘Ukraine’) is anon-governmental & non-profit

higher education institution, established as the

first of its type in Ukraine

University structure: 6 institutes,1 faculty & 1 colledge in Kiev, 16 institutes & branches,

3 colledges in all regions of Ukraine, which allow

to ‘deliver knowledge to people’s residence’ for students with low

income or low mobility

‘‘UKRAINE’ in UKRAINEUKRAINE’ in UKRAINE

KYIV

Mikolayiv

Khust

Horlivka

Poltava

Bila Tserkva

Luts’k

RivneZhytomir

Khmelnits’kiyVinnitsya

Kirovograd

Dnipropetrivsk

Melitopol’

Nova Kahovka

Dubno

Ivano-Frankivs’k

Ternopil’

Storozhynets’Nikopol’

Kiev Institutions:

• Social Technology

• Philology & Mass Communications

• Economy & Management

• Law & Public Relations

• Computer Technology

• Engineering Technology

Mission of our University – to provide quality higher education

for people, who desire to reach their full potential,

including those with disability

Main goal - to provide equal access to education

for people with special needs

Today there are about 32 000 students

in our University, and one thousand students with disability among them.

All-together there are about 8 000 students with disability

in all Ukrainian universities

First graduates: June 2004

Students with disability

come to our University

from special ‘closed’ schools, where they were segregated

from society,

or they come from families,

where they also were separatedfrom ordinary school system

So all participants

of educational process

(students, lecturers and students with disability)

have mutual difficulties,

trying to adapt to each other

in new integrated educational environment

Inclusive education

excludes any kind of discrimination

and provides equal attitude

to all people, but ensures

the special conditions

and support for students

with special educational needs

Ukrainian model of inclusive higher education

was first developed in our University with the help of

BESO volunteer prof. Peter Mittler from Manchester University

and Joahim Klaus, Karlsruhe University (Germany)

Model is based on such principles:

Delivery of educational services to the place where student with disability lives

Provision of full access to education Flexibility of educational process and

methods Pre-university adaptation to the integrated

educational environment Monitoring of learning process and results Provision of pedagogical and psychological

supportProvision of conditions for comprehensive

development of the individual

Since 2003 our University is building

first in Ukraine completely accessible

University Campus

as a model of

‘Inclusive University of Future’

System of educational support :

Technical Pedagogical Psychological Medical and rehabilitation Sport-recreational Social Professional adaptation

Technical support has to:

compensate for the functional limits of students

provide equal access to learning materials

provide students with adaptive technical devices and special technologies of learning

• Optimization of teaching technologies

• Transformation of educational materials into a form appropriate for each kind of disability

• Implementation of modern pedagogical methods of education

• Provision of educational materials in appropriate format

Pedagogical support provides:

Testing psychological profile of each student

Care about psychological comfort

Providing necessary help in adaptation into integrated educational environment

Assistance in personality development

Psychological support

Universities have to provide quality educational

services for students with disability,

but their socialisation is not the University’s responsibility

Therefore in 2003the Ukrainian NGO of students with disability ‘Gaudeamus’ was created to involve them into full social life and to ruin

psychological and physical barriers between them and society

Several Annual events were established

by the initiative of our NGO :

• International Conference ‘Actual problems of education in integrated educational environment’ (2000)

• Competition of Scientific Work of Students with disability (2005)

• Art festival for students with disability ‘Shine of Hope’ (2003)

• Ukrainian Sport Games for Students with Disability (2004)

Socialization of students with special needs, their social adaptation Overcoming of social isolation of studentsImprovement of their social statusInvolvement in all aspects of social life

Social support is directed onto:

• Involvement in active physical activities, including Paralympics

• Health life style motivation• Improvement of psycho-physical

condition• Increase motivation to learn

Sport and recreational support :

Our main pain is that after 6 years in integrated

university environment our graduates with disability

return to society which is not prepared to accept them as equals, where they are still

excluded from normal life, where their needs are ignored

Therefore in 2006

we established

Career Development Center

to help graduates with disability

and their future employers

to understand each other better

We are sure that cooperation and exchange of experience between

BEARR Trust members and Ukrainian NGOs offers the opportunity

to make positive changes of attitude to Disability in Ukraine