Education laboratories in 'education for all' in Russia: from Lenin to Putin

Abstract

Development of education for all is a symbolic nexus/chain of policy agenda reforms in education towards its accessibility for each societal member. In Russia, the formation of this agenda was rooted in strong Soviet ideological doctrine, based on egalitarian values and hegemony of proletarian humanism. Ideological response to the needs of industrialization in its primary policy agenda reforms, performed strong structural barriers to the basic right to education for children with disabilities in the public schooling system. The undertaken research appeals to the history of formation of education for all, dealing with social education legalization with two time frames: Soviet and Post-Soviet; methodology of the research has qualitative approach, aiming to make text analysis (as a primary source) of the main state policy documents, concerning social justice and equity, educational laws, governmental orders and other documents, regulating education for children with disabilities retrospectively and contemporary. Secondary data, such as statistics, case data, etc., were collected from the historic and current sources, such as peer reviewed publications, governmental statistics, state archives, etc. The research questions of the study are: what are the main features of the policy agenda for children with disabilities as a nexus of reforms of ‘education for all’ retrospectively and contemporary? What structural challenges occurred and what curriculum was created and implemented cross the time? What science perspective/s in special pedagogy emerged and transited? Research findings are combined in two big themes: Desired contours of the future and a state order for experimentation and Unfinished experimentation: disrupting the pattern. The themes are supported by the sub-themes. Both of the themes are discussed for the understanding of special education inputs in education for all.[1] The author