Education of Children with Disabilities in Azerbaijan: Barriers and Opportunities
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107 Education of Children with Disabilities in Azerbaijan: Barriers and Opportunities ULVIYYA MIKAILOVA, ALMAZ ISMAYILOVA, YULIA KARIMOVA, ULKAR ISAZADE, RAMIZ BEHBUDOV, YUSIF AGAYEV, NIGAR ALIYEVA1 he public education system of the Republic of Azerbaijan was built on the Soviet science of “defectology,” and usually associated with the education of children with disabilities (CWD) in special schools and home schools, separatedT from other children . Thus, the majority of the currently available gov- ernment-provided educational systems facilitate isolation and segregation of CWD from their peers and the society at large . Additionally, educational facilities for CWD are not widely available across Azerbaijan, not fully accessible, and not proactive in locating and involving the CWD in education . This article explores the level of educational data collected using qualitative and quantitative provision for CWD in Azerbaijan from the per- methods complement, support and prove each spective of the Convention on the Rights of the other’s findings . Field research was done during Child (CRC) . It looks at policies, resources and the April - June 2008 period, while data analysis practices, the extent that the national legisla- was done in the months that followed . tion, regulations and educational policy provide The study’s main target group consisted opportunities for social inclusion and main- of CWD aged between 6-10 years, and data stream education for CWD . It provides recom- was gathered from parents, teachers, school mendations to strengthen the capacity of the principals, policymakers, ministry officials and government and other partners in Azerbaijan other key stakeholders, such as NGOs . The col- to bring about policy reforms, ensure adequate lection of data used different research methods resource allocation, and promote programming such as survey, interview, focus group discus- that supports inclusive education . sion (FGD), observation of teaching practices This article is based on the 2008 study inside the classrooms, and analysis of local and initiated by UNICEF and implemented by the international legislations . Centre for Innovations in Education (CIE), a local Azeri non-governmental organization (NGO) . Educational Opportunities The 2008 study employed a mix of qualita- tive and quantitative methods . These methods One of the important findings of the study were used to prevent research participants is the acknowledgment by the government of- from influencing the results and findings of the ficials that the provision of education to CWD research . The main goal was to show that the is the prime responsibility of the government, 107 108 HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS which has to adopt and administer the necessary Notes from home observations in Sumgayit policies that would foster the educational rights of marginalized children . The study reveals that Families with relatively good financial opportu- the country’s national legislations offer a variety nity did not focus on providing a separate and of educational opportunities for children with quiet space for a child to learn . And this issue special educational needs such as homeschool, did not seem to be a concern of the teachers inclusive and integrative classrooms, and spe- as well . cial schools for CWD . However, none of these educational programs have the capacity to ac- Integrative and Inclusive Education commodate the needs of CWD . There are cases, particularly in the regions Education at Home and rural areas, where the CWD are enrolled in mainstream schools that are not designed to Most of the available educational provision offer them adequate provision for their needs . for CWD is homeschooling . In general, about One of the observers mentioned: half of the surveyed parents (48 .5%) reported that their children received education at home . Integrated classes are understood to mean that Homeschooling requires the visit of a school children with disability are given access to general teacher to the CWD at home to provide educa- school but are not put in classrooms with their tion using specifically designed curriculum . peers who have no disabilities . Instead, they are Observations show that the quality of exclu- provided with separate classrooms and teachers . sive homeschooling is very poor . Following is Children are supposed to be taught according to an example of what researchers observed: the general school curriculum but are separated from all other children in order to meet their On our way to the house, the teacher talked specific learning needs . about the family problems and mentioned that they did not have chairs to sit on . “I asked them About 15 .8 per cent of surveyed parents to borrow a chair for you from the neighbours,” reported their children attending inclusive she said to me . We entered the room… and I classes, a new system that has recently been initi- noticed two small chairs in front of the table . ated by the government in collaboration with The teacher asked me to take one and she took international and national NGOs and piloted in another one; three girls stand in front of the table several regions of the country, mostly in urban for the lesson . areas . Advocacy efforts by the international child protection institutions and national civil Notes from home observations in Baku society groups resulted in changing govern- ment policy towards education rights of CWD . We (researchers) entered a small, dark studio In recent years, the government adopted two apartment . I noticed an old man lying on the major initiatives (The National Program on sofa; he was sleeping and loudly snoring . The Development of Inclusive Education, 2005 and TV was turned on and the teacher asked to turn the State Program on De-Institutionalization, it off . The teacher’s voice disturbed the old 2006), which enabled government agencies man and he said something to the mother . He to foster new opportunities in inclusion of uttered some comments several times and left CWD into mainstream schools . According to the room after the mother said something to the Ministry of Education (MoE) official, one him in low voice . hundred eighty-two CWD have been enrolled Education of Children with Disabilities in Azerbaijan: Barriers and Opportunities 109 in inclusive educational programs (seventy- with physical disabilities . Even the schools with eight CWD in pre-schools and one hundred students with cerebral palsy did not have any four in primary schools) since the start of the special equipment to accommodate their physical National Program on Development of Inclusive needs . In almost all classes CWD were sitting at Education (2005-2009) . the back desks and spending most of the time There is a noteworthy support for inclusive working with teacher assistants . education among the school community: about 37 per cent of surveyed school directors and Although teachers and teacher assistants the same percentage of teachers believed that working in pilot inclusive schools are trained by CWD should be enrolled in inclusive classes . At NGOs they still do not have enough knowledge the same time, there are cases where individual and experience to meet the educational needs schools or regional educational authorities have of CWD . taken independent decisions to include children Observations of inclusive education classes with mild disability into mainstream school show that teachers have very limited range of education . This is an unexpected finding be- teaching methods to provide children with cause officially inclusive education is piloted more meaningful learning . only in four district Centers (urban schools) .2 Despite the limitations in inclusive and in- This finding infers that there is at least minimal tegrative classrooms the MoE works towards support and effort by the regional government achieving the goals of international agreements and educational authorities to create opportu- and initiatives, and welcomes any initiatives by nities for CWD . However, it is important to local and international NGOs to develop more highlight that these efforts are limited to only sustainable programs to meet the educational ‘giving an access’ per se, and the quality and needs of CWD . MoE plays a significant role in outcomes of such education opportunity is a the provision of inclusive education as it is en- big question as many of these schools do not titled to act as a coordinating body to streamline have the necessary capacity to teach and educate efforts and programs of the government and CWD (e g. ,. trained teachers and their assistants, NGOs . At the ministry-level (ultimately, the methodology, teaching aids, etc) . For example, whole government-level) there is increasing as it was observed by the researchers: recognition of the important role of NGOs in bringing about effective results . It must be … all observed general schools could be divided noted, however, that generally inclusive educa- in two groups . One group represented traditional tion is a reasonably new concept for the country organization of classroom with conventionally and the lapse of reasonable amount of time is arranged desks, a whiteboard on the central, needed to observe substantial improvements . front wall, posters with alphabets, multiplication tables and other visual aids on the other walls . Special Education Another group represented the classes that were organized in activity Centers allowing children Collected data indicate that about 11 per to get in groups and work