The Right to Safety as the Foundation of Inclusion: The Teacher’s Role and Practical Tools

Abstract

The relevance of the study is determined by the problem of creating a safe educational environment as a fundamental condition for the implementation of inclusive education under martial law. The author substantiates that a child’s right to safety is a basic prerequisite for harmonious development, successful learning, psycho-emotional stability, and full socialization. Particular attention is paid to children with special educational needs who, in wartime conditions, belong to the most vulnerable categories of learners due to their increased sensitivity to stress factors, environmental changes, information overload, and disruption of familiar daily routines. The purposeof the article is to theoretically substantiate and determine the role of the sense of safety as a basic condition for the education of a child with special educational needs and to reveal practical tools that teachers can use to transform the educational space into a safe inclusive environment under wartime challenges. The research methods are based on theoretical generalization, analysis and synthesis of scientific sources, systematization and generalization of psychological-pedagogical, scientific-methodological literature and нормативно-правових documents concerning the formation of a safe educational environment, organization of inclusive education, and psychological-pedagogical support for children with special educational needs under martial law. The results of the study highlight practical tools that contribute to creating an atmosphere of predictability, stability, and psychological comfort in an inclusive classroom. The effectiveness of visual schedules, social stories, emotional grounding techniques, sensory support, anti-stress methods, stabilization rituals, and adapted action algorithms during air raid alerts is characterized. It has been proven that the use of these technologies helps reduce children’s anxiety levels, develop a sense of control over the situation, and maintain learning activity even under increased danger conditions. The role of professional teacher training for work under martial law is revealed. The necessity of integrating elements of crisis pedagogy, fundamentals of psychotraumatology, risk communication, psychological self-regulation, and methods of working with children who have experienced traumatic events into the system of pedagogical education is emphasized. Conclusions. It has been proven that the effectiveness of inclusive education largely depends on the teacher’s ability to create a “safe island” for the child, within which they can experience trust, support, and emotional stability. Particular attention is paid to the transformation of the teacher’s role in inclusion: from a transmitter of knowledge to a guarantor of emotional stability. The article reveals practical methods that help teachers create a “safe island” for students, including the use of visual schedules, social stories, grounding techniques, and sensory support.