Humanistic Educational Concept in Providing Social Inclusion of Pupils with Hearing Impairment in Belarus

Abstract

The trend of inclusive education in Belarus inspired a series of studies on the possibilities of social integration of pupils with special educational needs. The purpose of the following article is to describe the activities implementing humanistic holistic approach, which aims at social activation of pupils with hearing loss. The participants of the project were pupils from Special School with Hard of Hearing Student's Dormitory No 13 in Minsk.

The undertaken actions were aimed at changing the attitudes of passive consumers, socially immature, apathetic, with no initiative men into active participants in the social life. For this reason, it was essential to develop in a young person's personality characteristics such as: inner freedom and independence, self-discipline, self-control, self-management, and the ability of self-reflection. The project was designed to achieve these goals through a specially planned series of cultural and entertainment events participated in by the deaf, their hearing friends, parents, teachers, and representatives of the state and non-governmental organizations. This active model of education consisted of five, associated with each other, phases: diagnostic, implementing special cultural and sport actions, and finally those evaluating and modifying ones. The model assumed 2 basic directions of pupils' development: education in communication and action, as well as cooperation between hearing impaired students with hearing children and adults. Some competitions, festivals, meetings, intellectual games were organized using different technologies and interactive methods, e.g.: volunteering.

Analysis of the above-mentioned actions shows that preparing pupils with hearing loss to social integration is a process requiring proper emotional contact and effective communication. Only then do different actions help not only to overcome passivity, lack of self-confidence, but also to arouse interests and develop creativity. Positive effects of the implemented project can be seen, since the graduates of this experimental school went on to study at numerous Belarusian universities.