Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a new law on inclusive education on June 26, which requires all educational institutions to adopt inclusive educational programs to all students, including students with disabilities, the Akorda press service reports.
President Tokayev said that the number of children with disabilities in the country continues to grow. In contrast, current academic norms are outdated at the 5th meeting of the National Council of Public Trust in February.
The new law orders educational institutions to consider all their student’s characteristics and capabilities to eradicate discrimination and ensure inclusive educational programs for children with disabilities.
The new legislation also defines the admission procedure of children with disabilities to kindergartens and schools.
“The bill ensures that curricula will be adapted for children with special needs, individual developmental programs will be implemented, and that psychological and pedagogical support will be introduced. In addition, a per-capita standard for financing the state-level inclusive educational initiative will also be developed,” said Aide to the Kazakh President Erlan Karin on his Telegram channel.
The institutionalization of inclusive education on the state level is a crucial step to adhere to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights principles and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
