Discourse of segregation and inclusion: a discourse analysis of a Russian newspaper for teachers

Abstract

In Russia, children with disabilities have limited access to inclusive education. This article presents the findings of a discourse analysis of 32 newspaper articles focused on the education of children with disabilities, all of which appeared in a Russian newspaper for teachers. We identified two discursive patterns about the education of children with disabilities: preserving a special approach and removing barriers. These patterns highlighted the tensions that exist between the long-standing medical approach to special education and the emergent, inclusive initiatives. Our findings emphasize the need to create space for the perspectives of people with disabilities to be heard, while also serving to shape the future direction of the educational systems within Russia.

Keywords:

• discourse analysis
• newspaper articles
• Russian
• inclusion

Notes

1. The special education system included eight types of schools for students with the following disabilities categories: mentally retarded; deaf; hearing impaired; blind; visually impaired; speech impaired; physically disabled; and temporarily delayed in mental development.

2. The Russian Constitution of 1993 (Constitution of Russian Federation 1993) and the laws On Education (1992) and On the Social Protection of the Disabled in Russian Federation (1995) proclaim the rights of children to have free access to a quality education of their parents’ choosing.

3. In Russia, children with severe disabilities have the status of ‘invalid’ and include children with multiple, physical, and intellectual disabilities.

4. We use the term ‘speaker’ to denote all authors/writers of the newspaper articles and also those speakers who participated in the interviews that were reported in the articles.

5. The name of the document that regulates the educational standards for children with disabilities is ‘Comprehensive Model of Special Federal Standards for Children with Limited Health Abilities’ (Malofeev et al. 2010).

6. The highest administrative officials in Russian institutions of higher education are referred to as rectors.