The present study sought to challenge the traditional perspectives on the policy-making process and to examine to what extent and how civil society in Kazakhstan contributes to inclusive education reform. This study, described as a phenomenological investigation, used a qualitative approach and interviewed seven representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) about their contribution to inclusive education reform in Kazakhstan.
Definitions and Global Perspectives on Inclusive Education
Some schools thus define inclusive education in terms of attendance and behaviour, and implement anti-bullying and anti-attendance policies as part of their wider inclusion agenda (Miles & Singal, 2010). These varying definitions contribute to the lack of a unified strategy for implementing inclusive education on a global scale.
Inclusive Education: Introducing the Case of Kazakhstan
More so, a cultural stigmatization of children with disabilities contributed to the generally accepted traditions of isolating them in special residential institutions (Gevorgianiene and Sumskiene, 2017). It was believed that children with developmental disabilities were better off in special institutions and theirs.
The Context of Independent Kazakhstan
Contemporary Educational Politics in Kazakhstan
This implies that these schools are not designed to be “for everyone” but still receive a high level of political and financial support, especially compared to those undergoing inclusive education reform. Therefore, it is not possible to conclude that inclusive education is seen as a state priority, even though the State Program for Education and Scientific Development (2011) has a section dedicated to it underlining the expectation that inclusive education will be provided in 70% of the Kazakhstani schools will be implemented.
Inclusive Education Reform in Kazakhstan
In 2009, the Ministry of Education and Science in Kazakhstan presented the first Concept on Inclusive Education, which outlined the most important steps in the reform implementation. In general, the state direction towards inclusive education has been supported at international as well as state levels.
Civil Society in Educational Reform
The literature mentions at least two important contributions of civil society movements to education reforms. Therefore, in order to fulfill the objectives of this research, this study will predominantly focus on NGOs as representatives of civil society.
Civic Activism in Inclusive Education in Kazakhstan
The impact of NGOs on the development of inclusive education in Kazakhstan remains unexplored both in statistical data and in qualitative research. Moreover, although the literature review on civil society activism in inclusive education in Kazakhstan describes several case studies, they do not provide a conceptual framework to guide the investigation and interpretation of the findings.
Problem Statement and Research Questions
Framework of Analyzing Inclusive Education Development
The conceptual framework has often been used in the research regarding inclusive education development (Nes, 2009; Duke, 2009; Carrington & Duke, 2014). The Index consists of three dimensions which are the creation of inclusive cultures, the production of inclusive policies and the development of inclusive practices.
Importance of the Research
To create a comprehensive understanding of the role of civil society organizations in the development of inclusive education and to answer the research question, this framework was applied throughout the study. The rationale behind the study of civil society activism in inclusive education reform was presented and aligned with the inclusive research question.
The Conceptual Framework
The previous chapter has introduced the concept of inclusive education globally and described inclusive education in the context of Kazakhstan. Thus, the index provided the mechanism to reveal systemic strengths as well as the areas for improvement to enhance inclusive education provision in the UAE.
Civil Society Organizations in Theory
She described parents who serve as intuitive advocates who know best the special needs of their children, disability experts, strategists (since they often know the processes that need to be put in place to meet their children's needs), and agents for systemic change. The CSOs are more often expected to be involved in the formation, implementation and monitoring of education laws and policies (Mundy et al., 2008). In general, the CSOs may be viewed as independent watchdogs and critics, complementary service providers and partners to the government.
Cases of CSOs activism in Inclusive Education globally
Parents Driving Activism Globally
The first is awareness of the presence and needs of your children. The third contribution is a presentation of the case of their children with the aim of advocating individual adaptations in education. Another study, which included interviews with 89 parents of children with special needs in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, reported high satisfaction with the role of parent organizations in advocating for inclusion, revealing successful examples of local NGO activism for disability assessment reform and achieve the inclusion of their children in early education and primary schools (Dowling, 2012).
Cases of Civil Activism in Inclusive Education in Kazakhstan
The identified articles describe two case studies by Rose and Lapham: the NGO 'Ashyk Alem' that advocates for the educational and social inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorder, and the case of a school in. Markova and Sultanalieva (2016) in their article case study of NGO “Ashyk Alem” presented a clear example of activism of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Almaty. Ashyk Alem” has advocated for specific changes in legislation regarding the treatment of children with ASD.
Top-Down Paradigm of Policy-Making in Education
These cases describing bottom-up initiatives suggest the potential that NGOs have to contribute to inclusive education in Kazakhstan. However, what informs the opinion of the interviewed experts and their area of expertise is not revealed. Therefore, it is not possible to fully agree with the popular representation of the third sector in Kazakhstan as passive and ineffective. Overall, this claim can best be described as weak.
Chapter Summary
This literature review of case studies demonstrates how various NGOs around the world contributed to EFA and inclusive education reform. Especially among many social groups, the role of organized parent advocacy in the history of comprehensive education reform has been remarkable (Mayrowetz & Weinstein, 1999). The lack of research about Kazakhstani NGOs in the development of inclusive education is a gap that this study aims to fill, potentially aiming to challenge a common perception of top-down policymaking in this country.
Introduction
Research Design
It is not uncommon for case studies and qualitative interview methods to overlap (Bickman. & Rog, 2009). This study can also be described as an interpretive study, where the researcher acts as a key instrument and interprets the collected data via interviews. Interpretive case studies enable the researcher to gather thick information about a phenomenon and to categorize this information into conceptual blocks to make sense of it (Merriam, 1998).
Sample
Research site
Data collection instruments
The questions in the interview protocol (see Appendix 1) are open-ended, allowing the researcher to seek clarification and further detail based on individual experiences. These series are 'focused life history', 'the details of the experience' and 'reflection on the meaning' (ibid). Maintaining this structure of the interview allowed the researcher to build a comprehensive perspective of the participant and their role in inclusive education reform.
Procedures
Data Analysis
In general, a conceptual framework in a qualitative research provides an explicit focus on the topic under investigation (Bickman & Rog, 2009). The three-dimensional framework of the Index was used to categorize and order the themes that emerged from the data. The three-dimensional framework of the Index consists of policy, practice and culture as these are central to the phenomena being investigated.
Chapter Summary
A set of codes that identified the patterns and findings that emerged and were meaningful to the purpose of this study were developed using an inductive coding method that combined both thematic analysis and in-vivo codes (Creswell, 2014). These codes were interpreted in English, classified according to thematic categories, and presented by the researcher for discussion in the following paragraphs.
Introduction
Study Sample
Interview Response Analysis
Category 1: Policy
All participants in the study had stories to share about their involvement in the political field in the reform of inclusive education. In 2014, we lobbied to create the working group on inclusive education in the Ministry of Education. One of the points was about the supply of inclusive education and tutors paid by the state.
Category 2: Practice
For example, we were one of the developers of a city program for the rehabilitation of children with autism. Our motivation for organizing training seminars for specialists was to equip them with skills to work with children with special needs in mainstream settings. While some training programs are delivered by specially attracted professionals from abroad, others are delivered by local parents of children with special needs.
Category 3: Culture
We need to move to a stage where we can openly talk about children with special needs and cultivate a tolerant attitude in society, not like during the Soviet Union when they were hidden. As an activist, I attend parent meetings in Almaty schools at the invitation of civil rights advocates or parents of children with special needs who want to exclude their children from inclusive classes. With various tools and projects, representatives of non-governmental organizations strive to raise awareness of children with additional educational needs and promote social acceptance.
Other dimensions emerging from the data
The latter group placed primary emphasis on citizen activism, claiming that comprehensive education reform occurs primarily from a "bottom-up" perspective. Despite the popular belief that it is top-down because the authorities pass all those laws, these efforts have no weight without bottom-up support. If bottom-up campaigners did nothing, we would have none of those changes happening in legislation and practice.
Chapter Summary
Introduction
The role of NGOs in inclusive education reform
Policy
The data reveal that although the NGOs do not usually receive recognition for policy contributions, since the final versions of policy documents are approved and signed by the Ministry of Education and Science, they do. In addition, NGOs monitor policy implementation as they are often the direct consumers of the policy changes. Similar to the case study of the Indian National Campaign for Education (NCE), these data show a strong contribution to the implementation of inclusive education in Kazakhstan by the NGOs in the policy dimension.
Practice
Still, others cited parliament as a platform where real change occurred in inclusive education. Increasing the expertise of specialists in special and inclusive education is another goal for many NGOs and interviewees. Therefore, skill building of specialists is another strong contribution of civil society to inclusive education reform in Kazakhstan.
Culture
In conclusion, this research focuses on civil society activism to advocate for inclusive education reform. Moreover, the role of civil society in inclusive education is also not commonly researched. Innovative management in the field of comprehensive education and its impact on public health in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Defining an Inclusive Education Agenda: Reflections on the 48th Session of the International Conference on Education (Rep.). DESCRIPTION: You are invited to participate in a research study on activism in inclusive education reforms in Kazakhstan.
