Development of tolerance among parents of students with special educational needs

Abstract

In the article the very important issue of parental attitudes towards children with special educational needs was examined, the number of which increases every year. The legislative framework of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in adherence to international instruments safeguarding children's rights, has incorporated the notion of children with special educational needs and the principle of equitable entitlement to high-quality education for all students, considering their individual capabilities. Contemporary environments for children increasingly manifest malevolence, bitterness, and aggressiveness. This surge can be attributed to various factors such as mutual intolerance, cultural selfishness disseminated through mass media, and the familial and social spheres influencing schools. The primary objective of this study was to assess and ascertain the level of tolerance among parents. The investigation involved 32 parents of students attending a specialized boarding school in Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan. Specifically, 16 parents participated in a specialized course designed for parents of children with special educational needs. The assessment of parental tolerance commenced with pre and post-experimental phase testing, utilizing a self-translated questionnaire titled “Everyday Multicultural Competencies/Revised Scale of Ethnocultural Empathy” (Mallinckrodt, et al., 2014). The questionnaire comprises 10 statements that are assessed on a seven-point Likert scale.