Inclusive education at SPbU: Opening new horizons
The working group has discussed how we can engage physically challenged people in cultural life of our society. The event was visited by SPbU Vice-Rector for Methodological Support Marina Lavrikova.
Marina Lavrikova told us through how SPbU had been successfully providing opportunities for physically challenged students to be engaged into social and cultural life of the University.
How to integrate physically disabled students into social life is one of the overarching priorities of SPbU and it is implemented according to Article 79 of the Federal Law “On the Education in the Russian federation”. Such students are granted a right to decide whether they need to be provided special learning opportunities and they can directly address the Senior Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Extra-Curricular Affairs, and Methodological Support.
SPbU is taking into account individual psycho-physiological state, personal capacities, and overall health of the disabled students.
SPbU Vice-Rector for methodological Support Marina Lavrikova
“We can develop an individual curricular or an individual plan for each disabled student: we can prolong the duration of study and choose alternative methods of teaching” — said Marina Lavrikova.
All the main educational programmes the University offers include a course on the Basics of the University Life that aims to adapt students to the environment, learn them to learn and communicate with academic staff and students, said Marina Lavrikova.
The technological opportunities the University offers can also enable these students to get a degree.
“To provide more learning opportunities we use e-learning tools and techniques, for example Blackboard, — said Marina Lavrikova. — Our educational information systems are open to everyone. If you are registered, you can gain access via the Internet wherever you are without having to install special software. This is a format how we have been implementing an educational programme in Law since 2014, with a number of disabled students pursuing it”.
The inclusive approach the University is following is supported by the centres that aim to provide psychological help to the students. The disabled students can use the services our centres provide: psychological centre, legal centre, volunteering centre, and E-office.
The meeting was part of the VI St Petersburg International Cultural Forum.