INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN GERMANY

ABSTRACT

The article reveals the content of the concept of "inclusive education", some forms of implementation of inclusive education. The development and implementation of inclusive education in general education, secondary and higher educational institutions in Germany are considered.

Keywords: inclusion; inclusive education; integration; integrative approach; educational institution; people with disabilities; general education; higher education, accessibility of education.

The phenomenon of inclusive education in modern society exists as a form of education in which people without disabilities and people with physical, mental, material and other disabilities study together in educational institutions. Under "inclusive education" is understood the development in the educational system of the factor of accessibility of education for all students of pre-school, school and higher educational institutions, and adaptation of these educational institutions to all necessary needs of people with disabilities. In this regard, the educational system develops a methodology that should be flexible and consider each student as an individual with special needs during the educational process.  In this matter, a special role is played by the creation of conditions for individual development from the child being formed as an individual to a future specialist, through which he can demonstrate his abilities in the learning process.

Since in one group of people with disabilities there can be people with completely different physical, intellectual, psychological defects, inclusive education is aimed at combining the points of view of all stakeholders. To this end, in practice, inclusive education is usually implemented through differentiation, because differentiation can not only compensate for the gaps in the knowledge of the retarded, but also provide a joint planning form of measurement and assessment of knowledge so that educators can provide students with many different ways and approaches to education, contributing to a common goal.

The countries of Europe are at different stages in the development of inclusive education, and for the implementation of this education are often used completely different methods. We will consider the introduction and implementation of this system in educational institutions of different levels in Germany.

Inclusive education in Germany has the following main characteristics:

- The integration of general and specialized educational institutions;

- Comprehensive support for people with disabilities;

- flexible teaching methods.

Turning to the history of the issue, it is necessary to note when the application of the integrative approach in education began. Officially, it is believed that after the Conference of Ministers of Education, which was held in 1994, and at which recommendations on special-pedagogical assistance were adopted. The document adopted at the conference determined that students with disabilities were among those in need of special pedagogical support, because their education in the "mainstream" school environment could not be effective without special assistance. But back in the 80's the education of such children in a regular school showed that integration should serve not only as a goal, but also as a means of education, which led to closer cooperation between institutions of general and special education, manifested in the exchange of experience and information, conducting joint classes and other factors.

Now, when a child reaches school age in Germany, parents apply to enroll their child in a regular school or a special school, and a committee determines whether the child is suitable for this education: if the disability allows the child to attend a regular school, the committee favors the integrated approach. In order to increase the effectiveness of this approach, qualified special staff are hired in Germany, individualized instruction is used, and the cooperation of all members of the team and social services is applied. The student can receive support not only in school but also outside of it: a special educator and a medical worker are always at his or her disposal. Effective for the application of the integrative approach to children with developmental problems is considered to be a full-day school - an organizational form that involves properly planned educational and extracurricular activities. Here it is worth noting that the modern education system in Germany gives teachers more freedom to organize the educational process, taking into account the characteristics of students [2, p.21-22].

Germany's higher education institutions have also introduced a system of inclusive education. German universities, studying the individual cases of students with disabilities, began to take them into account in the organization of educational work. Statistics show that in all universities in Germany there are about 6% of such students. It should be noted that Germany is divided into 16 independent territories, which have their own standards for the official diagnosis of disability, and their own rules about what services can be offered to students with special needs. But despite this, it is still possible to distinguish four main types of disability: mental disorders, limited physical capabilities, somatic diseases, and a combination of several types of diseases [3, p.].

There is a whole network of special centers and services to support and accompany students with disabilities in secondary and higher educational institutions. For example, the University of Wuppertal has a service for disabled and chronically ill students, and there is also a similar service at the University of Heidelberg. Service for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses has been operating for many years at the Technical University of Berlin [4, p.5].

The leading role in the field of inclusive education in the Federal Republic of Germany is played by the Technical University of Dortmund, which has provided access to higher education for persons with disabilities for about 40 years. The first counseling service for students with disabilities or chronic illnesses was established there, and the Dortmund Disability Research Center (DoBus), created as a result of the pilot study "University for All," has been in operation since 2001. DoBuS specializes in creating equal opportunities for people with disabilities and chronically ill students, and strives to support other universities in this. The center's activities are professionally supervised by specialists from the Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences.

For all German students there is also financial support - the country provides persons with disabilities, regardless of their status, student loans [3, p.72].

Thus, inclusive education in Germany is implemented in general education, secondary and higher educational institutions through the cooperation of general institutions with special ones at school level, and logistical support at student level. For children with disabilities in German schools, new teaching methods are introduced and developed, individualized curricula are developed according to personal factors, and educational, medical, and social services support is provided everywhere. Universities in Germany assist students with disabilities in the educational process by establishing special services at each university and introducing student loans.

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