Schools required to integrate people of determination in Abu Dhabi

The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge has adopted a policy to integrate students with additional educational needs into the emirate’s schools, as part of the “Education Pillar” initiatives in the Abu Dhabi Strategy for People of Determination 2020-2024. The policy requires schools to develop and implement an integration policy, appoint specialized staff, and set conditions for requesting additional fees.

Officials at schools in Abu Dhabi told Al-Emarat Al-Youm that the new policy replaced the “Students with Special Educational Needs” policy that had been in place since 2014, with the aim of providing an inclusive and nurturing environment that allows equal access to educational services for people of determination.

In detail, the Department of Education and Knowledge confirmed that the integration policy, a copy of which was obtained by “Emarat Al Youm”, works to support and guide schools in promoting the principles of inclusive education within an educational system that includes specialized professionals equipped with the necessary educational knowledge to support the various needs in the school. The policy also supports, during its implementation, an educational curriculum based on guaranteeing the rights of all students in a way that enhances the principle of justice and integration in all aspects of society.

The department explained that the purpose of the new policy is to achieve expectations of inclusive education as a basic right for all students, including students with additional educational needs in schools, to determine admission requirements for those with additional educational needs, to determine requirements for imposing additional fees on parents, and to determine the role and responsibilities of school leaders in order to promote inclusive educational environments, in addition to determining the minimum requirements for compliance and providing the basics of education for students with additional educational needs in schools.

Mandatory acceptance

The department confirmed in the new policy that it is not permissible to refuse to register students with additional educational needs in the schools of their choice under any circumstances, provided that the school has the capacity to receive them according to the appropriate class and year, under any circumstances, noting the necessity for schools to commit in admission procedures to giving priority to the attendance of students with additional educational needs and their siblings in the same school, and to request parents to submit original copies of any reports of clinical evaluations conducted by a relevant specialist such as a psychologist and pediatrician, and to support the transfer process of students with additional educational needs, and to target three categories as a priority in particular, including students joining the school for the first time, students coming from specialized educational centers, and students within student exchange programs.

Notice of “inability”

The department called on schools to provide any facilities required by students to complete the evaluation process, if the evaluation is part of the school’s registration process, and then to benefit from these evaluations in the process of providing support in education, stressing that these evaluations should not be used as a reason for refusing registration at the school, in addition to using all available information to ensure safe access to a safe educational and physical environment in a fair manner for students with additional educational needs at the school.

The Department confirmed that the school is obligated, upon seeing the inability to meet the needs of any students with additional educational needs, to submit a notice of “inability to accommodate students with additional educational needs” to the Department and parents within seven days of issuing the decision to accept the student, noting that it – the Department – has the right to support or cancel the notice of inability based on the evidence provided by the school and other sources, as schools must make reasonable adjustments and arrangements to enable the acceptance of this category of students.

Tracking system

The new policy requires schools to develop a robust system for identifying students in need, referral and tracking, so that teachers and staff can provide feedback on a student’s academic, social, psychological or behavioural aspects and developmental needs, identify student needs, enable the development of reliable education plans, establish ongoing communication with parents regarding additional educational needs, record additional student details on the Student Information System (eSIS), and monitor student progress.

Additional fees

The department stressed the need for schools to follow the principle of inclusion, which stipulates that access to education in a fair manner is a right for all students, which requires taking the necessary measures to meet the needs of any student with additional educational needs within the school’s fee schedule, noting that the school may request additional fees if the student’s need requires specialized intervention and support that exceeds what the school can provide within its own programs, according to what is stated in the student’s clinical report.

She pointed out that requesting additional fees requires providing evidence justifying the requirements and costs of the additions that the school will provide, detailing all fees imposed individually and updating the student’s records on the “eSIS” system with those detailed fees, with the provision of an account statement to parents showing the distribution of the additional fees imposed on the basis of each semester.

The department has set a limit on the fees that can be paid by parents, not to exceed 50% of the tuition fees, and any optional administrative fees for the school’s therapist should not exceed 10% of the costs, noting that if the payment ceiling is insufficient to cover the costs in a school with low to very low fees, fees exceeding 50% may be imposed, provided that parents agree to pay those fees. The school can also take an alternative by requesting approval from the Department of Education and Knowledge for any additional fees, while committing to reviewing all additional fees on a quarterly basis and assessing the impact of the specialized services and the possibility of continuing to apply them.

Referral to specialized programs

The Department of Education and Knowledge confirmed that most students with additional educational needs are enrolled in public schools, but students may be considered for enrollment in alternative programs if they meet the admission criteria, when the school believes that the student needs more specialized care, and it must communicate with the department regarding this decision before communicating with parents, or if an Emirati student is diagnosed with severe autism through a clinical assessment, or the student needs intensive treatment such as occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and applied behavior analysis, with the school ensuring that the parent understands and is aware of the criteria for enrollment in specialized education.

• “Education and Knowledge”: Requesting additional fees requires the school to provide evidence to parents justifying the increase.

• 50% maximum additional fees of the study cost.