Societal Readiness for Inclusive Education: Stakeholder Perceptions in Kazakhstan

• In Event: Reframing Disability and Inclusion: Critical, Anti-Colonial, and Rights-Based Perspectives in Global Education

Proposal

Context
Since ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2015, Kazakhstan has introduced laws and state programs promoting inclusive education in schools (UNESCO, 2021). As a result, the number of schools accommodating children with special educational needs (SEN) has expanded rapidly. In fact, by 2023 approximately 86% of general schools had “created the necessary conditions” for educating students with disabilities (Bilyalov, 2024), a sharp rise from about 3,200 inclusive schools reported in 2017 (UNESCO, 2021).
Purpose and Research Questions
This paper analyzes societal readiness for inclusion from the perspectives of frontline educators and leaders, drawing on a 2023 qualitative data collected in inclusive preschools and schools across multiple regions of Kazakhstan. This study explored several key areas. First, it investigated how school-level stakeholders describe the societal readiness within their communities, specifically focusing on attitudes, norms, and collaboration. Second, it sought to identify the competencies and supports deemed most essential for successful inclusion. Third, the research examined the impact of staffing, university preparation, and parental engagement on the quality of implementation. Finally, it considered which policy and university-school partnership mechanisms were perceived as most viable for accelerating readiness.
Methods
Between January and March 2023, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 91 participants—directors, deputy directors, heads of kindergartens, special educators (defectologists, speech therapists), general teachers, and assistants—from 30 inclusive organizations (urban/rural, multiple regions). Transcripts were coded inductively to develop themes on integration models, staffing and recruitment, competency needs, teacher challenges, and recommendations for university training and policy.
Findings
Schools and preschools implement diverse integration models—full inclusion with adapted curricula, special groups/classes on site, and (in specified cases) home-based education—with individualized plans developed to address specific needs. Leaders express support for inclusion to foster social skills and participation. Commonly observed disabilities include: preschool—speech problems (45%), delayed mental development (36%), hearing (27%), vision (18%), and cerebral palsy (18); school-age—delayed mental development (49%), autism (18%), and speech problems (14%). Educators report limited societal readiness, citing conflicts among children and parents and behavioral crises among neurotypical peers when inclusion is poorly supported. General teachers describe insufficient documentation and guidance, time pressure, difficulties assessing progress at individualized paces, and psychosocial strain without adequate supports.
Respondents emphasize shortages of special educators, speech therapists, and assistants; uneven availability of specialists across preschools and schools; high turnover; low salaries; and the tendency of some graduates to leave the specialty.
In terms of competencies and qualities required of special educators, stakeholders prioritize: (i) deep expertise in special pedagogy, speech therapy, and child psychology across ages; (ii) individualized planning, differentiated instruction, and behavior support; (iii) collaboration and consultation with general teachers; (iv) structured, empathetic communication with parents; and (v) personal attributes—patience, empathy, adaptability, and stress tolerance.
The most frequent recommendation is more practical (not merely theoretical) training: earlier, longer placements in inclusive sites and consistent attachment of students to specific kindergartens/schools with mentoring. Respondents also call for strengthened psychology content, modern methods (e.g., ABA, sensory integration), technology-assisted tools, and updated methodological resources.
Significance and Contribution
Empirically, the study provides one of the largest post-policy qualitative snapshots of frontline societal readiness in Kazakhstan. Empirically, it draws on a rare multi-region dataset—91 educators and administrators from 30 inclusive preschools and schools—providing a granular view of how inclusion is organized. On a practical side, stakeholders converge on an earlier and longer placements in real inclusive settings, systematic mentorship, stronger special teacher preparation, and the use of modern methods and tools.

Authors

• Darkhan Bilyalov, Nazarbayev University

• Zulfiya Movkebayeva