Inclusive education reform in Kazakhstan: civil society activism from the bottom-up

• Published in: International journal of inclusive education 2021-08, Vol.25 (10), p.1109-1124
• Main Authors: Rollan, Kamila, Somerton, Michelle
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agency Cooperation; Agency Role; Attitude Change; Attitudes toward Disabilities; Change agents; Change Strategies; Civil society; Consciousness Raising; Cooperation; Cultural change; Cultural Influences; Education reform; Educational Change; Educational Needs; Educational Policy; educational reform; Foreign Countries; Inclusion; Inclusive education; NGOs; Nongovernmental Organizations; Parent Participation; Policy Formation; Policy making; Public Opinion; Schools; Students with Disabilities
• ISSN: 1360-3116; 1464-5173
• DOI: 10.1080/13603116.2019.1599451

It is a common discourse in Kazakhstan that policy-making is state-driven with weak engagement of civil society. The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan announced a transition to an inclusive education model by 2020. The present study sought to challenge the traditional perspectives on the policy-making process and to investigate to what extent and how civil society in Kazakhstan contributes to inclusive education reform. It employed a qualitative approach, interviewing seven representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) about their contribution to inclusive education reform in Kazakhstan. The findings show that the NGOs actively engage in revising the policies and ensuring their implementation. Furthermore, they facilitate the provision of methodological support to schools and professionals, contribute to promoting cultural change about perceptions of people with special needs, and inform parents, the state, and the public more broadly about the needs of children requiring additional educational supports. These findings give credit to the leadership of NGOs and suggest the need for government and schools to cooperate more closely with civil society organisations, which serve as change-agents in facilitating inclusive education in Kazakhstan.