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DOI: https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2022.56.08.29
How to Cite:
Budnyk, O., Rembierz, M., Arbeláez-Encarnación, T.F., Rojas-Bahamón, M.J., Arbeláez-Campillo, D.F., Chinchoy, A., &
Matveieva, N. (2022). Formation of tolerance in the inclusive environment of an educational institution. Amazonia
Investiga, 11(56), 305-319. https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2022.56.08.29
Formation of tolerance in the inclusive environment of an educational
institution
Formación de Tolerancia en el Ambiente Inclusivo de una Institución Educativa
Received: September 5, 2022 Accepted: October 12, 2022
Written by:
Olena Budnyk121
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5764-6748
Marek Rembierz122
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0295-0256
Tanya Fernanda Arbeláez-Encarnación123
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1635-4116
Magda Julissa Rojas-Bahamón124
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4882-1476
Diego Felipe Arbeláez-Campillo125
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9041-9563
Alexander Chinchoy126
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2572-1416
Nataliia Matveieva127
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8495-7074
Abstract
In the article the results of theoretical research of
the problem of forming a tolerant attitude
towards people with special educational needs
(SEN) are substantiated, defining the essence of
the basic concepts of the research, psychological
approaches to understanding the content and
levels of tolerance. The following research
methods were used: study of psychological and
pedagogical literature, media monitoring,
questionnaires and mathematical statistics. The
results of an empirical study involving 226
respondents representing general secondary and
higher education institutions in different regions
of Ukraine are presented. The cases of disability
discrimination in inclusive education were
identified and the most effective measures for the
formation of tolerant social attitude towards them
were outlined. Based on the analysis of media
resources, examples of intolerance in inclusion in
121
Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences (PhD, EdD), Professor, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, Ukraine.
122
Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences (PhD, EdD), Professor, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland.
123
Estudiante Derecho, Universidad Libre de Colombia, Colombia.
124
PhD. Educación y Cultura Ambiental. Docente titular Jorge Eliécer Gaitán. Grupo de Investigación Primmate. Par evaluadora
Colciencias, Colombia.
125
Grupo de Investigación Lenguajes, Representaciones y Educación, Universidad de la Amazonia, Grupo de Investigación Primmate,
Colombia.
126
PhD in Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, Volodymyr Vynnychenko Central Ukrainian State Pedagogical University,
Ukraine.
127
PhD in Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, Ukraine.
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different countries of the world are given, as well
as dominant gender, racial or socio-cultural
stereotypes that serve as barriers to inclusion.
The emphasis is placed on the need to create an
inclusive educational environment where all
students can feel psychological comfort,
understanding and mutual respect based on the
generally accepted principle of tolerance – all
students should study at regular educational
institutions, despite difficulties or differences
between them. The necessity for proper
conditions for effective educational or
correctional and developmental work with
people with SEN, taking into account the
adaptive nature of people from socially
vulnerable groups, as well as mental, gender,
ethnocultural characteristics of society has been
proved.
Keywords: Tolerance, Inclusive Educational
Environment, Secondary School, Higher
Education Institution, Inclusive Education.
Introduction
At the present stage of humanization and
democratization of all spheres of public life, the
problem of modernization and improvement of
the system of inclusive education in general
secondary and higher education institutions is
especially relevant (Ainscow, 2005; Budnyk,
Sydoriv & Serman, 2022). Researchers analyze
the quality of educational services in different
types of schools on the progress of adaptation of
a child with health disabilities and his/her
inclusion in the social learning environment
(Black, Bessudnov, Liu & Norwich, 2019).
The growth of crisis phenomena in society is, in
our opinion, not so much of an economic nature
as a decline of spiritual and human values. These
factors affect negatively the attitude towards
children with special needs, who require constant
informal attention and care of parents, teachers,
public and religious institutions. The reality of
life itself raised the question of introduction of
inclusive education, especially in the recent
decade. In this aspect, we observe a tendency for
social and / or personal rejection of the idea of
teaching children with disabilities in regular
schools (Vasianovych, Budnyk, Klepar at al.,
2020).
Inclusive education is based on the principles of
non-discrimination and diversity, effective
inclusion of all applicants in educational
services. However, many students in inclusive
classes face various barriers (physical, mental,
informational) in their education. Often these
problems are soft barriers and their contribution
to aspects of school stratification by social class
and special educational needs (SEN) (Cahill,
2021), “an unwillingness to embrace a
philosophy of inclusion or to change existing
practices, an inadequate understanding of general
education practices and how students with
disabilities can participate in general education
instruction while providing specialized
instruction in unique education goals” and others.
(Villegas, 2021).
Problems of tolerant treatment of people with
disabilities are particularly acute in developing
countries. For example, in India, less than five
percent of children with special educational
needs attend school (Sanjeev & Kumar, 2007).
V. C. Blândul and A. Bradea note that society
still has a tendency to segregate approaches to the
education of children with disabilities. In
Romania, as in Ukraine, the problem of training
teachers of special education / inclusive
education is acute, i.e. it is about the formation of
professional competencies that allow you to
effectively implement an individual approach to
working with students with SEN (2017, p. 337).
In many countries, especially in Eastern Europe,
there are a number of difficulties in achieving
these goals due to the inability of modern schools
Budnyk, O., Rembierz, M., Arbeláez-Encarnación, T.F., Rojas-Bahamón, M.J., Arbeláez-Campillo, D.F., Chinchoy, A., &
Matveieva, N. / Volume 11 - Issue 56: 305-319 / August, 2022
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to respond promptly and adequately to rapid
changes – to introduce new educational content,
innovative technologies, strategies for tolerant
interaction based on personality-oriented
approach.
An important aspect of inclusive education is the
existence of dominant gender, racial or socio-
cultural stereotypes that characterize the
mentality of a nation. Today, there is no doubt
that everyone has the right to education.
However, many children with SEN in low- and
middle-income countries are still deprived of
educational opportunities.
The tasks of the study are (1) to study theoretical
issues on the formation of tolerance in the
inclusive process, (2) to present and analyze the
results of an empirical study on the attitude
towards people with SEN in general secondary
and higher education institutions (the example of
Ukraine).
Ask each of the research questions. In the
methodology, the instruments used to answer
each research question must be stated.
Research Methods
The method of studying the psychological and
pedagogical literature on tolerance and inclusive
education in general secondary and higher
education is used for theoretical analysis of the
state of the outlined problem.
The method of media monitoring was used to find
relevant information about publications on the
research problem, in particular, intolerant,
contemptuous treatment of people with
disabilities, especially in educational institutions
of different countries.
Questionnaire method – to identify problems in
educational practice, in particular individual
cases of discrimination in the context of
inclusion, measures to develop a tolerant attitude
towards people with disabilities in society.
Methods of mathematical statistics are used for
quantitative and qualitative presentation of the
results of empirical research.
Instruments and Procedures
The article presents the results of an empirical
study conducted in general secondary and higher
education institutions in Ivano-Frankivsk,
Cherkasy and Kyiv regions of Ukraine. 226
respondents of different age groups took part in
the anonymous online survey. The questions of
the questionnaire were about teachers’, parents’,
peers’ attitude to students with disabilities in
educational institutions.
The presented research is not representative, as it
analyzes respondents’ attitudes to inclusion and
people with SEN in secondary schools and
universities. The selected sample for the survey
does not allow to extrapolate its results to all
groups of respondents. However, we have
identified a clear trend in the relevance of the
problem under research and the necessity to
develop a strategy and tactics for its solution at
various levels (using the example of Ukraine).
Results of Research
In the results start with each research
question and present the results obtained in
the investigation
Let’s consider current theoretical issues related
to inclusive education. For this, it is important to
find out the essence of tolerance/intolerance, to
determine conditional levels of tolerance in
conditions of inclusion, the concept of rational
tolerance, understand meanders, antinomies, and
dilemmas of inclusion in a philosophical and
pedagogical context, to identify the reasons for
neglecting moral rules (Rembierz, 2021) and
negative attitudes towards people with special
needs.
The essence of tolerance
“Tolerance is an attitude to perceived cultural or
physical differences between people or differing
opinions” (Lähdesmäki et al., 2022). Tolerance
has been framed as a sign of steady progress
toward a more civilized society (Watson, 2016).
The term “tolerance” implicitly refers to
something that is perceived not only as excellent,
but also to some extent as negative or
undesirable, which must be accepted (Klix,
2019). Tolerance is based on tolerantation of
others who are “not like other people.”
Moreover, tolerance for other ways of life,
inoculture, behavior, traditions, customs,
worldview, etc. And this concept can sometimes
be based on prejudice against people with
disabilities, negative stereotypes or general
stigma. In this case, we deal with discrimination,
intolerance of others, which is the opposite of the
concept of “tolerance”.
“... Тhere are different tolerance
discourses that work out differently in
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construing “us–them” distinctions. The
power of the (in) toleration discourse
depends on the meanings that are
deployed, the way in which these are
used, and who is using them and for which
purposes. Tolerance and intolerance are
discourses that have different meanings
which can be used for progressive or
oppressive ends and therefore are not by
definition desirable or undesirable.”
(Verkuyten & Kollar, 2021).
In the historical context, concerning wars and
contradictions, “the model of inclusion and
tolerance was unstable and fragile” (de Shalit,
2021). In today’s world there is a change in the
policy of tolerance, which is interpreted as
“modification of the ethos of tolerance, from
tolerance and inclusion based on indifference to
tolerance and inclusion based on curiosity”
(Shalit, 2021).
Tolerance is a progressive concept that helps
people understand and accept each other, even if
they do not share certain preferences of others.
After all, tolerant people show strong will
coexisting and cooperating with different
opinions and views, and being tolerant of
diversity (Miller & Sessions, 2005). Moreover,
teaching students tolerance and developing the
value of diversity is necessary for the formation
of their resilience to adequate perception of
certain limitations (Avery, 2002). “Education for
tolerance should aim at countering influences
that lead to fear and exclusion of others, and
should help young people to develop capacities
for independent judgment, critical thinking and
ethical reasoning”, йдеться у Declaration of
Principles on Tolerance (United Nations, 1995).
Tolerance is thus ultimately a question of justice,
recognizing differences, and ensuring they hold
an equal position in the public sphere (Galeotti,
2002, p. 10).
In the psychological context, there are several
approaches to the study of tolerance. Thus, the
psychodynamic approach considers tolerance as
a strategy of the subject aimed at self-regulation
and satisfaction of needs, which develops under
the influence of protective mechanisms. In line
with the behavioral approach, tolerance is a
constructed behavior of the subject that changes
according to external stimuli (Herzberg, 2003,
p. 20). For example, specific skills such as the
ability to accept diversity. According to the
cognitive approach, the emphasis is on the
rationality of the structure and mechanisms of
tolerance. The level of tolerance is determined by
the level of development of the cognitive sphere
concerning interpersonal relationships in the
educational environment. Accordingly, the cause
of intolerance is the orientation on subjective
prejudices, stereotypes, attitudes, social
perceptions, etc. Tolerance through the prism of
the existential-humanistic approach is its
connection with the value-semantic sphere of the
personality (Nicholson, 1985, p. 55). It is also
about a manifestation of the natural and social
essence of tolerance.
Without making a detailed analysis of
psychological approaches to the interpretation of
tolerance, it is necessary to analyze the levels of
tolerance, which are extrapolated to the
conditions of inclusive education (Sajko &
Ostrovska, 2016) (Fig. 1). Thus, the first level of
tolerance is based on a person's tolerance of
others, who tries to restrain his/her negative
thoughts and emotions, refuses violence or
discrimination, but his/her beliefs are not stable
and behavior is characterized by indecision. The
second level is based on the recognition of the
values and rights of each individual and the third
– a critical attitude to the situation based on
critical thinking.
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Figure 1. Tolerance level.
Source: developed by the authors.
“Toleration is always a relationship between
tolerating and tolerated individuals or groups.
This relationship can be characterized in
different ways but typically implies inequality
whereby the tolerated other is cast in a dependent
and inferior position” (Verkuyten & Kollar,
2021).
Toward rational tolerance
Considering the arguments for the need to
analyze and observe the principles of tolerance in
interpersonal relations, referring to everyday
experience, T. Kotarbinski pointed out that
“rational life includes concern for a plurality of
goals that are not fully harmonized and for their
fusion into an organic unity. This, in turn,
requires agreements, concessions, preferences.
One must reckon with the further effects of
actions, with side effects, with costs, with what is
sacrificed for what, what is given up for what.
And it is only in such a holistic context that the
problem of rational tolerance is outlined with
clarity” (Kotarbinski, 1987, 254).
This statement on tolerance, which emphasizes
the human struggle with a multiplicity of – to
some extent incompatible – phenomena and the
human uncertainty about the full legitimacy of
the decisions made and about obtaining only the
desired effects through the actions taken, can also
serve as a motto for the following inquiries into
the problem of rational tolerance (
Rembierz,
2009
).
If the Latin root tolerantia (tolerare) clearly
directs attention to such attitudes as patience,
perseverance, enduring, enduring, to show
patient perseverance, then questions arise about
the reasons for practicing and in the long term
maintaining this inconvenient attitude. For what
reasons, within what limits and against what can
one show patient endurance?
The Latin root of the word tolerance is cited in
encyclopedic entries and studies on tolerance, but
nowadays the characteristics and conditions of
patient perseverance and patient endurance are
not considered more closely, because the modern
concept of tolerance seems to have emancipated
itself from its root word. And it points to attitudes
that require considerable self-control, based on a
righteous and strong character capable of bearing
a difficult burden. In old church hymns there are
words about the fact that human daily life is a
“life’s toil” and “wearisome toil”, which man –
in the face of God and thanks to divine help, as
these songs proclaim – patiently endures. It is
worth remembering the meaning of the Old
French word “endure” – the life experience
contained in it – when considering the patient
enduring of ailments inherent in tolerance.
When struggling with what is tolerated, one must
distinguish between two situations that, although
similar in the way they are experienced, are
nevertheless significantly different. It is
necessary to discern when the perceived nuisance
is a feature of the phenomenon’s own making
that can be mitigated or eliminated, and when this
The first level:
tolerance as an expression
of empathy, combined with
slow indecision,
indifference
Second level:
readiness for mutual
understanding on the basis of
universal values and recognition
of everyone's right to their
opinion
The third level:
level of dialogue and
expansion of own
experience due to critical
comprehension of different
opinions
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demanding patient endurance of the “nuisance”
arises only in our relationship with the
phenomenon, because we are unable to properly
accept, understand and embrace it? An additional
issue is to decide in which situations acceptance
of the endured hardship should precede
understanding of the phenomenon producing it,
and in which situations understanding of the
endured phenomenon should precede (perhaps
only conditional) acceptance. When is it
acceptable to patiently tolerate nuisance
phenomena, and when is it advisable to recognize
that the tolerated phenomena are becoming too
“unbearable”, even exasperated by the tolerance
shown to them, and can no longer be tolerated.
Apt arguments for the attitude of tolerance are
formulated by A. Grzegorczyk:
“The ideal of respect, tolerance and
openness in human relations is based on
the conviction of the basic homogeneity
of people despite the existing deep
differences. [...] Observation instructs us
that people are often very different.
Respect and tolerance, however, are based
on the belief that the elements of unity are
more important than differences. [...]
people are the same in the deeper layers of
their personality than those layers in
which they differ. The elements of unity
are more basic, residing, as some say, ‘in
the very nature’ of man.” (Grzegorczyk,
1963, 188-189).
On Inclusionary Aspirations. Meanders,
antinomies and dilemmas of inclusion
In contemporary public and academic discourse,
the issue of inclusion is taken up in various
contexts when debating integration and
counteracting exclusion. This is because it is
recognized not only as an issue worthy of
theoretical reflection, conducted from different
points of view of many scientific disciplines, but
also as a matter of great practical importance and
even as a pressing social problem, demanding the
development of appropriate solutions. Although,
at the same time, in the public discourse, which
has a clearly practical and performative
dimension, there is a difficult to eliminate split in
valuing – on the one hand – inclusion and – on
the other hand – exclusivity, a split in valuing,
which can definitely adversely affect the
understanding and realization of inclusion. While
– especially on the ground of pedagogy and
social ethics, including ethics with religious
inspiration – in the demands towards the shaping
of social life and the education that co-shapes it,
the need (indispensability) for inclusion of
people and groups threatened or affected by
marginalization and exclusion is strongly
emphasized, in widespread marketing slang, the
qualities of some (unique) goods and services are
promoted as exclusive, offered only to
distinguished customers who can receive in a
special way satisfactory consumption (implied:
desirable consumption of valuable goods, which
for the rest, however, will be unavailable). This
bifurcation and this inconsistency in the
valuation of inclusion and exclusivity is therefore
of concern from the standpoint of pedagogy and
social ethics, since the consumption mindset and
the marketing activities that drive it dictate
(impose, even coerce) fairly widely accepted
patterns of behavior that pretend to effectively
achieve personal well-being. If this is indeed the
case, if the promotion of desire for exclusive
goods and services effectively and profoundly
forges orientations and choices among values,
then consideration of inclusion may turn out to
be nothing more than idle moralizing, far from
being in critical and reliable contact with reality.
And then the slogan of “inclusion” can be
included in the list of fashionable superstitions,
causing misunderstandings, multiplying illusions
and delusions, contributing to the involuntary
production of situations radically different from
those verbally declared as the exemplary goal of
aspiration. Thus, all the more necessary are
insightful and realistic analyses of inclusion,
especially if one shares the axiological
conviction that counteracting marginalization
and exclusion, as destructive processes and
states, should lead to inclusion, to inclusion in
situations and relations considered as goods
(among other things, personality-forming
goods).
Inclusion – in the most general terms – is the
activity, process and result (the obtained state of
affairs) of incorporating some element into a
larger (containing more elements) and in its own
way coherent whole. The pursuit of gradual,
partial or full inclusion is motivated primarily by
the fact that the element should not remain
outside the whole, to which, for some reason, it
should – as its constituent part – belong. Here the
questions of the cost of inclusion already arise:
Have undesirable – from the point of view of the
whole – features been weakened or eliminated so
that inclusion is possible? Were the peculiarities
of a given element preserved, or were they
reduced and it succumbed to the uniformity
imposed by the whole? These questions are
relevant when considering inclusion in an era of
obliteration of opposites that allow for
axiological orientation.
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While the rules and procedures of inclusion in
relation to abstract objects can be quite
transparent and effective, the situation becomes
much more complicated in interpersonal
relations, when many additional (sometimes
hardly predictable) factors come into play. This
is especially true for people with disabilities,
people who struggle with dysfunctions and
disabilities that enable, as it were, “natural”
inclusion, without additional support.
There are also differential (side and adverse)
effects of inclusion:
(a) If someone manages to be satisfactorily
included in a given whole and, moreover,
this is interpreted or exhibited as a success,
the exclusion of those in relation to whom
inclusion efforts were not undertaken or
failed and they remained outside the whole
to which – of their own or someone else’s
will – they had pretended.
(b) If someone is included in a given totality, at
the same time that totality undergoes some
degree of remodeling, and what's more, this
can be done at the expense of excluding
someone from that totality or marginalizing
him or her in that totality.
It is worth mentioning that in the theology of
religion and religious studies there is a distinction
between exclusivist and inclusivist positions
(aspirations) as to the claims of the exclusive
truthfulness and salvific power of a given
religion. Nowadays, these positions are
highlighted in the contemporary debate about the
scope and value of religious pluralism and
gradualism within inclusivist positions.
In an inspiring pedagogical reflection, the issue
of inclusion in the context of the experience of
mercy was addressed by Pope Francis. In the text
of the catechesis “Misericordia e Inclusione”
delivered (November 12, 2016) at the end of the
Year of Mercy celebrations, the Pope develops in
a structured form the reflection on inclusion:
„In this last Saturday Jubilee Audience, I
would like to present an important aspect
of mercy: inclusion. Indeed, God, in his
design of love, does not want to exclude
anyone, but wants to include everyone.
For example, through Baptism, he makes
us his children in Christ, members of his
Body which is the Church. And we
Christians are invited to use the same
criteria: mercy is the way one acts, that
style, with which we try to include others
in our lives, and avoid closing in on
ourselves and our selfish securities. […]
This aspect of mercy, inclusion, is
manifested in opening one’s arms wide to
welcome, without excluding; without
labeling others according to their social
status, language, race, culture or religion:
there is, before us, only a person to be
loved as God loves them. The person
whom I find at my work, in my
neighbourhood, is a person to love, as
God loves. “But he is from that country,
or that other country, or of this religion, or
another... He is a person whom God loves
and I have to love him”. This is to include,
and this is inclusion” (Pope Francis,
2016).
Tolerance and inclusion
Tolerance and being tolerant are narratives that
circulate and are taken up in an inclusive
educational environment (Watson, 2016).
Tolerance in inclusion means respect for the
dignity and humanity of pupils, students,
teachers, and community members, including
those with SEN (McGuire, 2017).
Psychological comfort, children and youth’s
problems of maintaining emotional balance,
mental aspect (Pascoe et al., 2020) is a priority in
an inclusive classroom. After all, even under the
best conditions for inclusion, some students still
experience anxiety – unfairness, shouting,
loneliness and seating plans – in the school
environment due to interpersonal relationships
between participants in the educational process
(Adderley et al., 2015).
Moreover, children with special educational
needs are usually more vulnerable, so they need
tolerance and understanding, according to
research conducted in Norwegian schools.
(Faldet & Nes, 2021).
“Education for tolerance should be
considered an urgent imperative; that is
why it is necessary to promote systematic
and rational tolerance teaching methods
that will address the cultural, social,
economic, political and religious sources
of intolerance – major roots of violence
and exclusion. Education policies and
programmes should contribute to
development of understanding, solidarity
and tolerance among individuals as well
as among ethnic, social, cultural, religious
and linguistic groups and nations”
(United Nations, 1995).
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In this context, in our opinion, the issue of
tolerant treatment of students with SEN in the
context of inclusion should be considered.
Therefore, it is no coincidence that in modern
educational practice various aspects of creating a
proper educational environment in educational
institutions of different types are increasingly
relevant: Safe and Healthy School Environments
(Geller et al., 2007), preservation of mental,
physical, social and spiritual health of students in
educational institutions (Smolinska et al., 2020),
Educating Young People about Environmental
Health for Informed Social Action (Keselman et
al., 2011) and others.
We assume that each person has certain abilities
(academic, artistic, sports, etc.), i.e. something
original and unique to society. Therefore, in the
context of inclusive education, it is important to
develop the creativity and talents of all students,
paying special attention to people with
disabilities (Budnyk, Mazur & Matsuk, 2021).
To do this, it is recommended to use group work,
collaboration, project activities as often as
possible in learning. Ch. Smith, Ch. Nerantzi, &
A. Middleton (2014) argue that “truly creative
learning spaces are ones in which learners and
teachers are mutually engaged in diverse
thinking, critiquing each other’s viewpoints and
working on problems collaboratively”. Under
such conditions, it is advisable to form tolerance
in personal interaction.
Tolerance and discrimination of people with SEN
In today's globalized world, there are often cases
of neglect of moral rules and negative attitudes
towards people with special needs. Information
Internet sources show various forms of
psychological discrimination and social
inequality concerning people (children) with
special needs in different countries and
continents.
In the Middle East, children with SEN are often
deprived of schooling due to their disability, and
most students do not receive adequate
psychological and pedagogical support for
effective learning. "Without any real option to
get a quality inclusive education, thousands of
children with disabilities are being left behind.
"For example, “few schools in Lebanon are
physically accessible and the government does
little to provide accommodations children may
need to succeed” (Human Rights Watch, 2018).
In Latin American countries, there are also
problems of discrimination in inclusive
education (Oñate Escobar & Alfaro Urrutia,
2021). Scientists propose four practices of
response to diversity. As a whole, they act
dynamically to make visible and dismantle
exclusion, segregation and integration,
respectively:
“In the first place, it is necessary to
incorporate into the curricular approach of
the establishment an analysis and
assessment of diversity, which should be
made explicit in the institutional
educational project. Second, and to reduce
the presence of values such as
individualism, mistrust and conformism,
it is recommended to insert collaborative
learning strategies focused on the
enrichment of learning objectives (the
interdependence promoted by
collaborative work breaks down practices
of exclusion, segregation and integration).
A third recommendation - it is proposed
to democratize the qualification, which
materializes in the fact that the
construction of the evaluation instruments
are co-constructed between teachers and
students. Fourth, it is proposed to modify
the perception that students have
regarding the professional team that
provides pedagogical support” (Oñate
Escobar & Alfaro Urrutia, 2021).
In Ukraine, the concept of inclusive education
was adopted only in 2010, and the reforms in this
area are underway at a rapid pace. But there are
also cases of discrimination, especially as people
with SEN are a particularly vulnerable category,
especially emotionally. An example of this is the
story that took place in one of the schools in
Brovary, near Kyiv (Ukraine). Parents of first-
graders wrote a collective demand for the
separation of a child with a disability from the
rest of the students in the class, thus expressing a
reluctance for their children to study in an
inclusive class. This is a violation of the right of
a child with SEN to receive quality education,
moreover – a direct manifestation of
discrimination, intolerance. After all, Ukrainian
legislation provides equal learning conditions for
all children and gives them equal rights before
the law (Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights
Union, 2016).
However, it is not only in developing countries
that there are problems with tolerance in an
inclusive educational environment.
Unfortunately, such cases now occur in highly
developed countries, such as the United States
and Canada. According to scientists (Lyons,
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Thompson & Timmons, 2016), the effectiveness
of inclusive education in different Canadian
provinces is not always high. Although the vast
majority of the country's citizens approve of the
idea of inclusion, they understand the importance
of socializing “special” students in the
educational process, forming a tolerant attitude
towards them. However, a significant number of
people still support traditional segregation
approaches to the organization of children's
education with mental and physical disabilities.
This is evidenced by the following materials,
where people with disabilities in Canada admit
negative public attitudes.
“Statistics Canada reports that Ontarians
with disabilities continue to have lower
educational achievement levels, a higher
unemployment rate, are more likely to
have low income status, and are less likely
to live in adequate, affordable housing
than people without disabilities. It is clear
that people with disabilities continue to
experience difficulties accessing
employment, housing and various
services throughout Ontario. “Disability”
continues to be the most frequently cited
ground of discrimination under the
Ontario Human Rights Code (Code) in
human rights claims made to the Human
Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO)” (The
Ontario Human Rights Commission,
2016).
In the United States, the infrastructure of
inclusive schools is extremely well developed,
but there are also frequent cases of discrimination
against students with SEN. For example, the case
of Roncalli High School (Indianapolis). The
family of an 18-year-old boy with Down
syndrome has filed a civil lawsuit against the
school and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. It
states that in this Catholic school the former
student suffered systematic humiliation during
the 2019-2020 school year (FOX 59, 2021):
“The bullying, harassment, hazing,
discrimination, and abuse were more than
isolated and sporadic incidents; they were
serious, ongoing, and continuous and had
the systemic effect of depriving John Doe
to educational programs and activities”
(FOX 59, 2021).
In Australia (Brisbane State School), a mother
also sought help because of the despair of her 9-
year-old son, who was born with Achondroplasia
(the most common form of Dwarfism) after an
incident of harassment by other students. After
humiliations, the vulnerable boy even began to
think about suicide. Therefore, parents of
children with SEN are unanimous about the need
to include topics on knowledge of inclusion and
tolerance in the curricula of educational
institutions (Perry, 2020).
While in educational institutions the
phenomenon of disrespect for students with
disabilities is usually as for their academic
abilities, in society intolerance in general is often
related to gender, ethnic or racial inadmissibility.
For example, in Africa, girls with disabilities are
more likely to be sexually abused than boys with
the same health problems. For example, in West
and East Africa (Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria,
Zambia, etc.), gender often prevents a child from
getting an education because of his or her mental,
intellectual and / or physical development
characteristics. According to research, boys and
girls with disabilities are more likely than others
to experience social isolation in an educational
institution. Among SEN students, girls suffer
more emotional trauma due to social prejudices
about their educational potential. Therefore, for
the effective implementation of inclusive
education it is extremely important to create a
safe school environment for all students, as well
as to overcome gender societal stereotypes about
the education of children with special
educational needs (Hui, Vickery, Njelesani &
Cameron, 2018). After all, the main task of
inclusion is to ensure that no person feels
different and / or excluded from educational,
cultural and social processes.
The problem in educational practice: the results
of empirical research
The generally accepted principle of tolerance in
inclusion is that all students should study in a
regular educational institution, despite the
difficulties or differences that exist between them
(Rembierz, 2020). It is necessary to create such
an inclusive educational environment in which
all students feel psychological comfort, mutual
understanding and mutual respect. Disclosure of
potential opportunities and abilities of students
with SEN, the level of their social adaptation and
success depends not so much on forms of
education (boarding or inclusive), but on the
flexibility of the special education system, the
range of psychological and pedagogical services:
early detection of peculiarities of psychophysical
development, unity of diagnostics, correctional
and developmental work, continuity and
systematization in receiving educational
services, etc.
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In the modern educational system, specialized
forms are being replaced by new forms –
integration and inclusion. As a result, students
with SEN have the opportunity to move from
specialized schools to secondary schools in their
residences. Integration involves the adaptation of
children with disabilities to the requirements of
the existing education system, which as a whole
remains unchanged, not adapted for teaching
students with specific nosology. At the same
time, inclusion is the adaptation of the
educational system to the needs of the child. In
this context, the idea of equality, tolerance in
society, regardless of physical or mental
development, race, nationality, gender, religion,
social status, abilities and talents.
Proper implementation of inclusion in the
educational institution eliminates any forms of
discrimination, examples of which are given
above.
In order to investigate the state of the outlined
problem in real practice, we conducted a survey
in general secondary and higher education
institutions in different regions of Ukraine. The
survey involved 226 respondents who are
directly involved in the implementation and
organization of inclusive education:
− parents of children with special educational
needs who study in inclusive classes;
− principles of general secondary education
institutions that provide inclusive education
for children with SEN;
− inclusive class teachers;
− teaching assistants in inclusive classes and
other specialists of the team of psychological
and pedagogical support;
− SEN graduates who studied in general
secondary education institutions;
− future teachers who conducted pedagogical
practice in schools with inclusive education;
− university teachers.
The study proved that, despite progressive
changes in Ukraine’s education system regarding
the introduction of inclusive education in
educational institutions at various levels,
community work and the media to promote
humane treatment of people with disabilities,
there are still cases of teachers’, students’,
parents’ disrespect.
One third of respondents (78 persons, 34.5% of
the total amount) admitted that they did not
notice cases of discrimination against students
with SEN in the institution where they work;
about the same number (36.3%) chose the option
“I don’t know”, 15.5% – “it’s difficult to
answer”. But a small amount (13.7%) still
noticed such cases (Fig. 2). This means that some
people with disabilities suffer from humiliation,
harassment in the institution where they are
educated. And this happens not only among
peers.
Often parents of healthy students openly or
covertly protest against the education of children
with SEN in secondary school (Fig. 3).
Figure 2. Intolerance among pupils / students in educational institutions of Ukraine.
Source: the results of the authors’ survey.
13,70%
34,50%
36,30%
15,50%
Is there disrespect for students with disabilities in educational
institutions?
Yes No I don't know It’s difficult to answer
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According to the survey, the majority of
respondents indicated the dominance of tolerant
attitudes in an inclusive educational environment
(96 out of 226 persons, i.e. 42.5%); a significant
number of teachers (23%) found it difficult to
answer questions about parents' outrage or
protests about their children learning together
with a child with special needs in an inclusive
class. But there is a growing trend of
dissatisfaction among parents, in contrast to
students, who are usually friendly towards their
classmates with SEN. Thus, parents of healthy
students mostly sporadically protest (18.6%) or
secretly express their dissatisfaction with
inclusion in school (9.7%). Although 6.2% (14
parents) express outrage about the education of
children with special needs.
Figure 3. Intolerance of parents’ to children with SEN in an inclusive class.
Source: the results of the authors’ survey.
Fig. 4 presents a list of indicative measures that,
according to respondents, will allow the
formation of good opinion in society, in
particular in the educational environment, on the
necessity to identify tolerance for people with
SEN. The majority of respondents (97 persons,
42.9%) point to the need for systematic outreach
in the educational institution or community, and
suggest more active involvement of students with
disabilities in public decision-making in
community life (31.4%) to create conditions for
self-expression, a sense of personal significance
and opportunities for self-realization.
In addition, such work should include media,
social advertising, etc., as indicated by 19
persons (8.4%).
6,2
18,6
9,7
23
42,5
14
42
22
52
96
020 40 60 80 100 120
They protest
They protest sporadically
They hide their outrage
It is difficult to answer
No
Have you ever met parents who express outrage or protest about their
children being educated together with a child with disabilities in an
inclusive class?
N %
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Figure 4. Measures to develop a tolerant attitude towards people with SEN in society.
Source: the results of the authors’ survey.
An important priority in the formation of
tolerance is to ensure the principles of health in
educational institutions, namely: the creation of
appropriate moral and psychological conditions
for learning and development of students
(Rembierz, 2020). This process requires
appropriate preventive measures. “…The system
of preventive measures for health care is aimed
at preventing the development of students’
negative emotional states, strengthening their
physical, mental and social health. For this
purpose in the educational environment it is
necessary to eradicate the following negative
factors: monotony, unfavorable sanitary and
hygienic conditions that contribute to the
reduction of stress resistance, fatigue, irritability,
fear” (Smolinska et al., 2020).
Conclusions
Considering the fact that the concept of inclusive
education reflects the priority idea of democracy
that all students are valuable to society,
regardless of their health, it is social and aimed at
creating an inclusive educational environment in
general secondary or higher education. This
determines the main goal of inclusive education
– humanization and tolerance towards people
with disabilities, creating conditions for quality
and affordable education for all citizens,
regardless of the peculiarities of their
psychophysical development.
All children have the right to education. When
people with SEN and typical development learn
together, they have the opportunity to adapt more
quickly to environmental conditions, to realize
similarities and differences, to assess abilities
and talents, to learn to accept others as they are,
concerning the uniqueness of each individual.
This process will make it possible to eliminate
discrimination in educational institutions and
society as a whole in terms of perception and
tolerance of people with disabilities.
It is also advisable to involve the media,
volunteer organizations that would promote
tolerance towards people with special needs and
their families through advertising, social videos
on television, organizing mass events involving
people with mental and physical disabilities,
arranging inclusive playgrounds etc. In order to
successfully integrate and obtain quality
education for people with disabilities in
educational institutions of various types:
kindergartens, secondary schools, out-of-school
educational institutions, vocational schools,
universities, postgraduate education institutions,
etc. “Heads of educational institutions who
initiate the development, experiment, testing,
implementation or application of pedagogical
42,90%
10,20%
7,10%
31,40%
8,40%
97
23
16
71
19
to conduct systematic explanatory work in school,
community
to strengthen accountability for violations of the rights
of persons with disabilities and failure to fully meet
their needs
to point to inaction in eliminating obstacles and barriers
preventing people with disabilities from realizing their
rights
to involve students with disabilities in active
participation in decision-making in the life of the
school, community
to intensify the work of social advertising and media
technologies
What is your opinion on the necessity to form social tolerant attitudes
towards people with disabilities?
N %
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innovations in inclusive education, above all,
must tolerate humanism in professional
interaction” (Nikolaesku et al., 2021).
Considerable attention should be paid to the
socio-pedagogical aspects of the inclusive
process in secondary school or university,
providing conditions for effective teaching or
correctional and developmental work with
people with SEN, “to use innovative wellness
techniques to work with children with disabilities
in inclusive groups” (Smolinska et al., 2020),
taking into account issues of adaptive nature in
the inclusive educational environment of
students from socially vulnerable groups
(economically, socially, academically or
intellectually vulnerable), as well as mental,
gender, ethnocultural characteristics of society.
We consider prospects for further research in the
development of organizational, content and
technological tools for the effective
implementation of inclusive education in
educational institutions, study and analysis of
progressive pedagogical experience on this issue.
Conflict of interest – The authors declare that
there is no conflict of interest.
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