Education experts to debate crucial learning issues at 17th GETEX

The event, which is aimed at students, parents and educators, will be held from April 5 to 8, 2005, at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre. It will feature a series of workshops and seminars grouped under two themes, "Success in the Classroom" and "Planning Higher Education vis-à-vis Career Objectives".

The "Success in the Classroom" workshops will focus on learning difficulties faced by students at various stages of their development during school years.

"Learning difficulties can arise for a variety of reasons, including individual learning styles, being constrained within a one-size-fits-all school environment, and conditions such as Dyslexia and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)," said Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, IC&E, organisers of GETEX.

"Scientific research is continuing to reveal many hitherto unknown, or misunderstood, factors that can contribute to a child's learning difficulties. For parents, early detection is crucial to the provision of sound remedial action as this can make all the difference to the future well-being of their child," explained Godinho.

"While educators have long proclaimed this message, they also recognise that updating and upgrading their skills better equips them to deal with such students. As part of the GETEX forum, we have opened a dialogue between experts in the field and the parent-teacher community and we are heartened by the response from the many experts who have come forward to so willingly contribute their time and knowledge to benefit the community," he added.

The "Success in the Classroom" series is lead by experts from the British Institute of Learning Development. The series features seminars covering a wide range of topics including, 'How do children learn?', 'IQ explained', 'Detecting and overcoming Dyslexia', 'Early intervention in speech and language development', 'How to improve handwriting by not handwriting', 'Central Auditory Processing Disorder - When the brain cannot hear', 'The Myth of Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder', and 'Emotional needs and support of the school child'.

Parents and educators will be given the opportunity to speak with a psychologist, a speech and language therapist, a speech pathologist and audiologist, and an occupational therapist, all of whom will be in attendance at the seminars.

"Myths concerning childhood learning difficulties abound which leads to confusion, fear and even some degree of denial in parents and teachers of children with learning difficulties. There is a misperception that conditions such as dyslexia cannot be overcome, and that mainstream education cannot adequately address the needs of children with learning difficulties," explained Sheena Reynolds, from the British Institute of Learning Development, the inspiration behind the seminar series.

"The staging of these seminars is an attempt to 'clear the fog' surrounding such issues, to bring about a more sympathetic approach in teaching and dealing with these children and to deliver sound techniques to educators to assist them in their day-to-day interaction with their students," she added.

The second series of seminars and workshops, 'Planning Higher Education vis-à-vis Career Objectives', will focus on the adolescent under pressure to make successful life choices. Led by Bob Turner, official Life Choices Advisor at GETEX, the seminar and workshop series is the culmination of a four-month long pilot project which has already taken the session for students to various schools in Dubai. The strategy of bringing the workshop and related seminars to the show is an attempt to reach students, parents and educators who were not able to participate in the first phase of the project.

The seminars for educators will cover a range of themes, including 'Setting up a Career and Life Choice Programme in Your School' and 'Learning For Life In The Student-Centred Classroom'. Students will be able to participate in a Life Choice workshop which will be staged on each of the four days of the exhibition, taking participants through the process of self-assessment and demonstrating strategies for planning higher education with a view to ensuring professional success. Workshops for parents will fall under the banner, 'Parenting with Emotional Intelligence', led by Beryl Comar Fowler of The Change Associates.

Clarendon Parker, as official Career Counsellors at GETEX and Educational Consultancy Services as official Academic Advisor at GETEX, will also be on hand at the exhibition for consultation with visiting students, parents, academic professionals and counsellors.

Entry to all seminars and workshops is free, therefore visitors are encouraged to register in advance for the "Success in the Classroom" and "Planning Higher Education vis-à-vis Career Objectives" series, as these sessions are expected to draw a large number of participants.