Sharing Good Practice
SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS IN THE
MIDDLE EAST
BY DEBBIE HAMILTON BOGUES
F
or teachers invited to teach
in the Middle East, we would
have learnt very quickly that
our experiences from our home
countries of SEN do not continue and
synchronise as straightforwardly as we
would have expected. The perceptions
and realities of SEN in the region are
not quite the same. We might be
accustomed to a standardised system:
identification, diagnosis, statement
and IEP, managed centrally within your
state or borough and with the protocol
of information being disseminated to
all schools, however, this is not the case
here. SEN provisions are piecemeal,
and will vary widely between public
and private schools and also between
private schools within the region. As
a result, we will have to reshape our
thinking, become more creative and
work efficiently with what we have.
Nevertheless, in the Middle East,
the education departments are fully
onboard with the fact that having
special educational needs should not
be an obstacle to being admitted into
any educational institution, whether
private or public.
The history of SEN in the Middle East,
varies widely from country to country
and each has created its own unique
version which best suits its specific
needs. In the UAE, SEN was initially
for students below grade 9, and only
for some disabilities, however, this
has drastically changed. The country
has now embraced the concept of
inclusion, and more categories of SEN
have been included and education
now goes beyond grade 9, which
includes students who are gifted and
talented.
In addition, the Middle East region
has adopted the UNESCO framework
for the right of the child and inclusive
education, which is:
“The right to inclusive education
means transforming culture, policy
and practice in all formal and informal
educational environments to ensure
education is for all learners. Inclusive
education is important not only for
persons with disabilities but the
societies they live in, as it helps to
combat discrimination, and to promote
diversity and participation.”
The main categories of SEN in the
Middle East include: Intellectual
disabilities (ID)/ mental retardation
(MR), autism spectrum disorder (ASD),
specific learning disabilities difficulties
(SLD), emotional and behavioural
difficulties
(EBD),
speech
and
language (SL) and physical and health
related disabilities.
A few of the goals for the Ministry
of Education, in Special Education
Department (UAE) are listed below
• Provide
equal
opportunities
for education to