On October 16-17, the VIII International Scientific-Practical Conference "Current Issues in Providing Conditions for Inclusive Education in the Russian Federation" was held in Moscow.
The conference brought together education system specialists, government representatives, non-profit organizations, and businesses from across the country to exchange experiences and discuss current strategies for the development of domestic inclusive education.
Specifically, the topics of round tables and discussion platforms included interagency cooperation, continuity of psychological and pedagogical support, continuity of support for families raising a child with special needs, professional training of specialists, assessment of the quality of inclusive education, educational technologies, and inclusive practices with proven effectiveness.
Theoretical foundations, research results, and practical experience were presented.
On the first day of the conference, the winners of the XII All-Russian Competition "Best Inclusive School of Russia-2025" were announced.
Maria Lvova-Belova, Commissioner for Children's Rights under the President of the Russian Federation, in her video address to the conference participants, noted:
"It is important for us that a system of continuous support for families raising children with disabilities is created and successfully operates throughout the country, and that children have opportunities for comprehensive development. Today in Russia, the number of children with developmental disabilities who can attend general education schools has increased.
In many educational organizations, menus take into account the dietary needs of children with disabilities and are provided to them free of charge. Furthermore, schools are opening rooms for performing independent medical procedures, such as measuring blood sugar levels.
Overall, our society today is taking important steps towards inclusion, developing equal treatment of children regardless of their health characteristics, and improving infrastructure.
It is important that the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation pays great attention to training personnel, as well as to developing adapted programs for educating children with disabilities and special educational needs.
However, many educational organizations still face a shortage of specialized teachers, special education teachers, tutors, or assistants, and this problem requires solutions and the training of relevant specialists. It is necessary to remember that a school becomes inclusive when appropriate preparation has been conducted with the teaching team, the parent community, and the children themselves.
Let us continue together to search for possible ways to introduce inclusion into the educational environment, combining the efforts of the state, the scientific community, and non-profit organizations for this purpose, so that accessible projects for children increase every year and parents see the school as another point of support."
Oleg Smolin, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Science and Higher Education, Head of the Working Group on the Development of Accessible and Quality Preschool and General Education for Children with Disabilities of the Commission under the President of the Russian Federation on Disabled Persons, emphasized the importance of correctional education for the development of inclusion:
"In its time, our system was based exclusively or almost exclusively on correctional education.
True, practically all or almost all children with disabilities studied in special schools, but practically all or almost all students with disabilities studied in regular higher education institutions. In the Soviet Union, there were about two hundred Doctors and Candidates of Sciences with visual impairments, which proves that the path from a correctional school to an inclusive life is more than possible.
The main thing is what starting conditions you receive, what level of education will allow you to then move forward in an inclusive life.
...I am convinced that we need the parallel development of both systems, both correctional and inclusive education. Inclusion is a global trend, but at the same time, we must understand that special conditions are necessary for inclusion."
At the major plenary session, speakers summarized the conference outcomes, shared key results of the work, and the event moderators presented proposals for the Conference Resolution.
Larisa Falkovskaya, Director of the Department of State Policy in the Sphere of Children's Rights Protection of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, reported that there are currently two million students with special educational needs and disabilities at all levels of education in Russia. She informed about important changes in the regulatory framework. In particular, since March 1, 2025, children with disabilities have been included among the children for whom special educational conditions are created based on the conclusion of the Psychological-Medical-Pedagogical Commission (PMPC). Second – all educational organizations without exception are obliged to create special conditions for students with disabilities and special educational needs. Third – teaching staff are obliged to take into account the health status of students and observe the special conditions for learning. According to L.P. Falkovskaya, the norms are not declarative today but are truly working. The "Digital Psychologist" service is also being actively launched, which allows for organizing methodological support and digital consultations. She also noted that the Model of an Inclusive School as a basis for designing an inclusive educational environment, developed jointly with MSUPE, is now becoming a real tool for assessing the implementation of inclusion.
MSUPE Rector Arkady Margolis emphasized that at MSUPE, inclusion is not a subject of abstract academic interest and curiosity, but real life: the Federal Center for the Development of Inclusive General and Additional Education operates on the basis of the university, and two faculties provide education for students with complex conditions.
According to the MSUPE Rector, inclusion has colossal potential, and the process of its development in our country must be based on clear criteria for effectiveness. He pointed out the need for empirical research and the use of an evidence-based approach in assessing the effectiveness of inclusive practices. He also invited conference participants to constant cooperation in this direction with the MSUPE "Tochka Kipeniya" (Boiling Point), created in partnership with the Agency for Strategic Initiatives.
MSUPE President Vitaly Rubtsov highlighted the problem of disseminating inclusive practices – today, many practices simply do not reach specialists working on the ground. In this regard, he proposed the formation of substantiated registries of practices with proven effectiveness and the training of specialists based on these practices.
Inna Shirshova, Director of the "Inclusive Environment" Program at the Sberbank Charitable Foundation "Contribution to the Future," expressed gratitude to the Russian Ministry of Education for its many years of efforts in developing inclusive education, the conference organizers and participants for supporting a developmental environment in educational organizations, and to Elena Klochko and the parent community as a whole, noting that the knowledge, opinions, and expertise of parents serve as a guide for the Foundation's specialists.
She emphasized that one of the principles of the Foundation's activities is reliance on scientific knowledge and evidence, and she spoke about plans to implement a project related to a registry of evidence-based practices. This project is intended to become a toolkit for the entire spectrum of helping organizations creating an inclusive environment.
Video recording of the major plenary session
Conference Organizers:
- Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation
- Moscow State University of Psychology and Education
- Federal Center for the Development of Inclusive General and Additional Education
Strategic Partner:
Information Partner: