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Sunday, December 6 - 2009

Government schools improve standards to include children with special needs, finds new study

  • United Arab Emirates: Thursday, June 25 - 2009 at 12:26
  • PRESS RELEASE

Children with special needs will soon find a smooth integration into Emirati Schools, finds a new study from The British University in Dubai (BUiD).

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  • Dr. Eman Gaad.
    Dr. Eman Gaad.
Following the societal need for effective inclusive education, a trend that is finding its way to UAE government schools, a professor from BUiD has found that with the implementation of better training and facilities, children with special needs will soon be able to integrate into government Emirati schools.

The research, using a mix of quantitative and qualitative data, and conducted by Dr. Eman Gaad, Senior Lecturer for Education at BUiD, found that in order to implement effective inclusion of children with special needs in regular school, issues such as the lack of support, training, teaching load and in-class help need to be addressed.

Further findings state that the need to conduct training in different areas of disability is essential, and school management feel that infrastructure modifications to make the schools more accessible, and equipment to cater to certain disabilities, are vital aspects for successful inclusion.

"Through my research and longstanding career in special needs education, I find the recent improvements made in the past few years have brought us closer to our goal. However, there is still a lot of work to do and support needed to enhance the country's standards in special education,"
said Dr. Eman Gaad.

"Education and awareness is crucially important. I am confident that my research, which was conducted nationwide, will help government schools prepare a systematic and practical approach so that Inclusive Education Policy is effectively implemented," added Gaad.

Parents of all children played a large role in the research and believe strongly that children with special needs should partake in regular classes and be provided the same learning opportunities as other children.

Gaad concluded, "With strong support from the UAE Government and organisations such as the Emirates Foundation, as well as parents, teachers and the community as a whole, we are at the point of visible improvement and the right solutions are being applied."

Dr. Gaad reviewed three government schools in each of the seven Emirates, over a fourteen month period.
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About The British University in Dubai:
The British University in Dubai (BUiD) is the Middle East's leading research-based postgraduate university, facilitating world-class education, training and research. It provides an important and growing community and resource for young professionals, leading academic, corporate managers and aspiring leaders of all description.

BUiD, a truly local university, is accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and internationally recognised for its top quality education, which is on par with British standards thanks to its association with UK-based universities including the University of Edinburgh, the University of Birmingham, the University of Manchester, Cardiff University and the Cass Business School at City University, London.

BUiD offers full and part-time research based Masters Degree programmes, the regions first accredited Doctorate in Education and Continuing Professional Development courses in: Education, Finance and Banking, Human Resource Management, Information Technology, IT Management, Project Management, Systems Engineering, and Sustainable Design of the Built Environment.

The non-profit university has attracted academic experts to develop regionally tailored programmes, in which they extend and challenge the boundaries of knowledge, understanding and research.

BUiD works in collaboration with leading organization and institutions including Atkins, Emirates Green Council Building, KHDA, Ministry of Education, Dubai Human Resource Forum, Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ADCCI) and CIOB among others, to encourage professional development across the UAE's public and private sectors.

The founders of the University are the Al Maktoum Foundation, the Dubai Development and Investment Authority, Rolls-Royce, the British Business Group and the National Bank of Dubai. The University is governed by a Council under the chairmanship of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

For further information, please contact:
Mikele Ugarte
Consultant
Wallis Marketing Consultants
P.O. Box 502281
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 4 390 1950
Fax: +971 4 367 2800

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