By: Lama Owais
The US Department of Education lauded the UAE’s experience in supporting special needs students and its efforts towards their inclusion in regular schools. It also called countries all over the world to apply such similar experiences and provide distinctive programs for these categories. In a message sent by Tracey Justesen, Director of Special Education & Rehabilitative Services in the US Department of Education to His Excellency Dr. Hanif Hassan, the UAE Minister of Education, she thanked his Excellency for his participation in the recent 2008 “Global Summit on Education: Inclusive Practices for Students with Disabilities” that was held last September with the participation of education leaders, advocates for people with disabilities, educators, academics and government officials from more than 60 countries around the world. Tracey Justesen said: “Your participation demonstrated your commitment to excellence in education around the world and reflected the UAE’s significant contribution to the international community’s ability to better equip students with disabilities with the tools necessary to compete in a global economy”.
His Excellency Dr. Hanif Hassan, Minister of Education assured that the interests of the UAE’s wise leadership with this category enabled the society to enhance their health, educational and social needs referring to the special needs law that was issued by His Highness Sheikh Khelifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President in 2006 to allow them enjoy their rights and have equal learning opportunities in all the UAE education public schools, rehabilitation centers, adults learners centers and continuous learning. The law also established alternative learning strategies and provided excellent facilities for special needs students”.
He also emphasized that the UAE Ministry of Education made great efforts in the special needs students’ inclusion in public schools. “We have fully prepared our schools environment, prepared curriculums and programs that fit the special needs students and equipped 211 classrooms of public schools all over the UAE with suitable and adequate facilities. Around 1457 students benefit from these classes and the numbers of teachers serving this category increased from 282 in 2005 to 436 last year”, he added.
The UAE Minister of Education concluded by stating that the Ministry of Education currently provides a group of projects that satisfy the special needs education inclusion in government schools by forming teams in every education zone to serve these categories, satisfy their needs and design education plans based on the case of each student. The Ministry fully cooperates with handicapped centers to certify and approve the certificates of special needs students in cooperation with their respective education zones.
Notes to Editors:
His Excellency the Minister of Education reviewed during a symposium that was held in Washington D.C. the efforts of the UAE in education and presented the visions of the Ministry in terms of organizing a ministry that would become a streamlined agency with highly qualified professionals and a governance structure with policies and practices the decentralize decision making with zones, councils and authorities and places schools at the center of education reform. The ministry’s education reform encourages students to graduate with bilingual and requisite knowledge skills in preparation for higher education and the workforce and at the same time graduate with technical, practical and personal skills as well. He also stated that the UAE occupied the first rank in higher education field. 90% of female students are studying in universities compared to males and this represents a diverse quality in the education and development plan of the UAE.