New programme for special needs education

A Dubai-based organisation plans to train teachers in promoting the inclusion of children with special needs in regular schooling.

In the programme’s first level, Al Jalila Foundation is aiming to reach almost 130 teachers in 20 public and private schools.

It marks the extension of its Ta’alouf (Harmony) programme for parents of children with special needs, to include teachers.

The philanthropic Foundation, which focuses on medial education and research, will provide in-class behavioural training for teachers of such children.

In extending Ta’alouf to teachers, the Foundation first identified “a lack of opportunities for the professional development of teachers and aimed to close the gap between home and school.”
The Foundation then held a series of focus groups to “ensure agreement and cooperation among potential partners, teachers and schools to determine the best approach and methods.”
The training plan agreed will include classroom-based practical sessions and mentoring phases.

The Foundation was established in 2012 by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
Raja Al Gurg, chairperson of the Foundation’s board of directors, said there should be equal opportunities for all students.

Foundation CEO Dr Abdul Kareem Al Olama added the Foundation “aims to eliminate stigma and discrimination by equipping educators and influencers.”
In the first Ta’alouf parents training batch, 53 parents graduated.

In February, the Foundation expanded the second cohort of parents training to include 100 parents.

It has doubled its target from training 400 parents to 800 parents over the next three years.

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