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Dubai: Many parents with special needs children feel their children are not getting the same educational rights of their mainstream peers and have sent a plea for help.
Around 43 parents with children at the Emirates English Speaking School face the challenge of finding another school to accommodate their children, as the school management has decided to close its special needs department which has been running successfully for 15 years.
The decision was recently approved by the Ministry of Social Affairs after a request by the school management. Parents claim they were not given enough time to look for schools and that most schools already have long waiting lists, leaving their children with little hope.
According to Amnah Rashid, Special Category Administrator at the Ministry of Social Affairs, the school won approval of its request to expand its mainstream school and since it's a private institute it has the right to shut down its department.
"Over 15 parents complained at the ministry and we have communicated to them our full cooperation to help them allocate special needs centres or integrate the children that are capable of being integrated and we still provide this support to parents," she said.
Space constraints
However one concerned parent said, "What are the authorities doing for our children? Up to now we have not had any cooperation. Nowadays it is difficult to find a place for a normal child in any school, so just imagine how difficult it is for special needs children. In theory, we read of the right of special needs pupils but we still don't see anything practical," she said.
In an earlier Gulf News report, S.S.U. Tabrez, the principal of the school, wrote in a statement to Gulf News that "due to acute constraints of space we are closing the centre [the Emirates English Speaking Centre for Special Needs]."
Gulf News also learnt that the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) had a meeting with the principal addressing the concerns of parents. Although the centre falls under the Ministry of Social Affairs the authority played a role to try to help the parents.
Fatma Al Merri, CEO of the Dubai Schools Agency part of KHDA, attended a meeting with key members of her team and the Head of the Emirates English Speaking School to see how all parties could work together to ensure that the students in the school's special needs programme were all able to transfer smoothly to appropriate institutions.
Al Merri said, "I was gratified by the approach of the head of the school to work with us to address the placement of these students in alternative schools. Just closing their current facility is not an option without giving them the necessary time and support to find new places in another school.
"It would be unfortunate indeed for the Emirates English Speaking School's distinguished record of service to the community to be tarnished by a hasty, ill-considered decision. I have confidence that they will offer the time and support necessary to the successful transitioning of the students involved," she said.
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