Inclusive education opens the doors to the future for people of determination

The UAE has paid great attention to the education of all students, including students of determination, in order to prepare them to face the challenges of the future. Based on the Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s keenness to provide and organize high-quality services that meet the needs of students with additional educational needs, an appropriate, supportive and safe environment has been provided for people of determination, supported by specialized personnel, in addition to assistive devices and technologies, to achieve diversity in the comprehensive educational services provided to students with disabilities. Enabling them to participate in experiments, expertise, and curricular and extracurricular activities with their peers, which qualifies them to reach the highest possible degree of independence in all fields to exercise their effective role as partners in society. Official statistics, issued by the Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi, of which Emirates Today obtained a copy, showed an increase in the number of students enrolled in private and partnership schools in Abu Dhabi from 6,000 students in 2023 to more than 13,000 students in 2024, an increase of 116%. %, after implementing the “Education Pillar” initiatives in the Abu Dhabi Strategy for People of Determination 2020-2024, and the policy obliges schools to develop and implement a policy Merging, appointing specialized employees, and determining the conditions for requesting additional fees.

In a press release, the Department of Education and Knowledge confirmed the implementation of the “Inclusive Education Model in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi” initiative, which included developing and launching an inclusion policy that requires all schools to create a framework to identify and support students of determination. The department visited 41 schools to provide support, ensure compliance, and maintain a high level of care for students of determination, and develop specialized therapeutic services in cooperation with the Department of Health, including psychotherapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. 1,359 students in 108 schools benefit from these services, and the department worked to transfer more From 50 students from specialized schools to schools in the general education system as part of the commitment to promoting an inclusive education environment.

The department indicated that it has developed a dedicated integration policy for early education institutions to ensure that young children receive specialized support during the most important stages of their growth and development. Support has also been provided to students with autism by increasing the number of seats to reach 92 seats for autistic students, 60 of which are in system schools. General education and 32 seats in Al Karama School and the Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Special Education. This expansion is part of the department’s larger goal of ensuring that all students have the opportunity to learn and develop in inclusive environments.

The department obligated schools to develop a strong system for identifying concerned students, referrals, and tracking, so that it allows teachers and employees how to express their observations regarding the academic, social, psychological, or behavioral aspects of the student and his developmental needs, identify the student’s needs, enable the development of reliable education plans, and establish Continuous communication with parents regarding additional educational needs, recording additional student details on the Student Information System (eSIS), and following up on students’ development.

9 built-in categories

The Department of Education and Knowledge confirmed that allowing the registration of students with additional educational needs in the schools of their choice requires that the school have the capacity to receive them according to the appropriate grade and year, noting that the categories of people of determination recognized in integration include mental disability, learning disability for people with special needs, and disability. Psychological and behavioral cases, autism cases, speech and language disorders, physical and health disabilities, visual impairment, hearing impairment, in addition to cases of multiple disabilities.