Ukraine  -  Alchevsk  – Inclusive Education

      Lugansk regional committee "Educators for Peace & Mutual Understanding" has started the 21st year of its social activities to the benefit of indigent children. In the town of Alchevsk (60km from Lugansk) there was a plenary meeting on an actual and noble agenda. Many a people took part in the meeting.

Among them teachers, doctors, social workers, scientists, sportsmen, musicians, psycologists, etc. This wide circle of participants was stipulated by a specific central problem: inclusive education and ensuring of equal educational conditions for all the children - with limited physical abilities, either.

The agenda was being realized in the process of analytical and summarizing work in the kinder garden 34 and gymnasia 12. Both institutions have nice and bright traditions in bringing-up and teaching the children with diseases of verterbral column, etc. (Photo 1).

 The institutions have practically the same clients, only age is differing. Little children are users of the kinder garden, elder ones go to school 12. So the ties between them are caused and strong. The final goals of the staffs could be defined as follows. To promote the education in the spirit of entire health - physical, moral, mental.

To educate the clients' competence.

To reach the high degree of their social adaptation.

To make them capable for self-realization and self-improving. To develop their abilities for non-standard solutions.

Taking into consideration very perculiar needs of diseased children the school staff use not only traditional but individual methods of education as well. Either on the basis of their school lessons or at home. And the distance computer education also. There are 330 pupils in the school. Among them 36 invalid children and 16 with limited physical abilities cannot visit school lessons. So as to embody the right of the child on education the staff and the town administration created for such clients the project "Interactive Education of Children with Limited Abilities via Distance Methodics". Such interactive technologies have in use different computer programmes in ordinary and multi-media variants : educational informations, audio-&-video materials, laboratory trainings, electronic tests, virtual visits to lessons, discussions on-line. The lessons are likewise video-conferences with simultanious participation

of 1 - 3 pupils and a teacher. The children are taught a special psycological course "Get to Know Yourself" that promotes down-grading of social deprivation and up-grading of self-

appreciation. Due to master classes of psychologist with the children their communicative level increased on 25% and the level of stress resistance - on 30%. During the 3 years of such learning in the frames of distance methodics the pupils won convincing victories in regional competitions for researching works on informatics in 2009 - 2010. Creativity and arts are also popular at school. Take it for granted, the studies in the group of fitodesign, in vocal group "Prestige", in the club of European languages stimulate the children to cognition and develop their aesthetic gifts and abilities. And it's not an occasional fact that Valentina Khorunzhaya, graduate of the 11th grade, became a laureate of the regional competition show "Miss Donbass 2009" in the nomination "Miss Artistism". Such active participation of children with limited physical abilities in mass actions inspires their furher successful socialization into society. By the way, this uneasy process is straightly depending upon professional choice of graduates :14% among them become doctors, 10% - teachers, 16% choose sociology and law. Hereby we propose the diagraphical model of inclusive education that has being worked through in Alchevsk as the general educational problem.

       But disattracting from official figures and diagrammes we'd confirm : the working meeting in Alchevsk fed us back with a touching and gratifying conscience. If and when you could improve this hard world and improve childrens' existance in this world in accordance with love and generosity...

Then here in Alchevsk the life starts displaying and constructing its modest but a very expressive model.

We believe that the whole industrial town (marked with bad and dangerous ecological pollutions) make their best to help children deprived of their natural health :

state administration (Mr.V.Chub), teachers and tutors, parents and psycologists, doctors and sportsmen,activists of culture and arts, pedagogical scientists and computer programmists.

Let their joined efforts and mutual understanding be a success. As final lines we present a poem after Tanya Sokolova

(at the age of 7), a first grade pupil of school 12

(she uses distance forms of learning - is not capable to move herself). (Photo 2).

MY EVER DREAM

I want to walk like all the rest

(But running - jumping would be best!)

I'd like to reach my school myself

And run to shop - for buying bread...

The earth around is in blossom

Under the shining sun,

Believe, I do not feel abandoned

As if I stayed just one.

I lack the friends - it's not a grieve !

To move, to jump, to go -

That is my dream, my ever dream -

I pray it come true so...

Dr.Julia Kipko, Chairlady, Lugansk regional committee "Educators for Peace & Mutual Understanding"

 Elena Kolossovska, Chief, Alchevsk Educational department. Feb 2011, Lugansk, Ukraine.