1. MOSCOW: joint action in inclusive education, the Ombudsman for Children’s position Yevgeniy Bunimovich bunimovich@ombudsman.mos.ru

2. 2 Step I. Period of experimentation and enthusiasm, and of trial and error supporting the staff in educational institutions and public organizations; organizing and participating in round tables, discussions and workshop conferences; shaping public opinion; working with Moscow Mayor's Office and Moscow Department of Education.

3. 3 Step II. Work on the Moscow Children with Disabilities Education Act - Organizational, financial and legal issues - The status of inclusive education in relation to special education and distance education. - The Ombudsman for Children’s legislative initiatives included in the city Act: definition of the concept of inclusive education and incorporation of the respective provisions in the Act clauses; participation of parents in choosing an educational institution and form of education.

4. 4 The City of Moscow Children with Disabilities Education Act was adopted in spring 2010 ”The bodies of state authority of the City of Moscow shall create conditions that provide opportunities for the parents (legal representatives) of individuals with disabilities to: choose an educational institution (with due consideration of the medical evidence and / or the opinion of the Psychological-Medical-Pedagogical Commission (PMPK)); choose between different forms of education (with due consideration of the medical evidence and / or the opinion (recommendations) of PMPK;”

5. 5 The City of Moscow Children with Disabilities Education Act “The bodies of state authority of the City of Moscow shall create in state-run education institutions conditions for inclusive education of individuals with disabilities. For the individuals with disabilities who have no opportunity to receive inclusive education, compensation learning classes (groups) and special (correctional) classes (groups) shall be opened in state-run education institutions.”

6. 6 Step III. Development of inclusive education in Moscow – 2011 96 preschool educational institutions and 91 schools carry out inclusive practices at different levels; 402 children of preschool age and 565 children of school age are placed in the general peer learning and education environment. The following institutions have been established and are currently working: district resource centers and coordination councils for the development of inclusive education; The City Resource Centre for the development of inclusive education; The Moscow City Psychological-Pedagogical University’s Institute for Issues of Integrated (Inclusive) Education.

7. 7 Transition period problems No clear mechanisms for normative legal regulation of the process of inclusion of children with disabilities into the general education system in the context of joint learning and education; no opportunity to combine different forms of education; inadequate professional training of general education teachers and poor methodological support; immature economic and financial mechanisms for the realization of inclusive practice.

8. 8 The Ombudsman for Children’s actions to develop inclusive education in Moscow Monitoring education (including inclusive education) of children with disabilities: 25% of adolescent respondents think that attitudes towards children with disabilities are worse than attitudes towards ordinary school children; 46% believe that children with disabilities should go to ordinary schools, 54% – to special schools. А monitoring study “Issues of access to secondary education for juvenile individuals with disabilities in the City of Moscow” commissioned by the Moscow Ombudsman for Children is currently being conducted by the Russian Academy of Education’s Institute of Family and Education.

9. 9 The Ombudsman for Children’s actions to develop inclusive education in Moscow Influence on the public opinion and work with mass media; individual assistance to parents and institutions working with children with disabilities; cooperation with researchers, teachers, education program designers; monitoring the implementation of legislation for the protection of the rights of handicapped children, children with disabilities and their families; interaction with government authorities, public organizations, UNICEF and other international organizations dealing with childhood issues.

10. 10 By 2020, to provide the opportunity for practically all children with disabilities in Moscow (if their parents so wish) to attend mainstream preschool and school institutions.