AMMAN — The greatest challenge faced by Jordanians with disabilities is
education, as less than 2 percent of children with disabilities are enrolled in
schools, according to the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (HCD).اضافة اعلان
With
this staggering figure, the council’s 2020 ten-year strategy for inclusive
education states that “the vast majority of persons with disabilities of school
age are completely outside the scope of educational institutions”.
In
partnership with the Ministry of Education, the HCD aims to raise the
percentage of school-aged children with disabilities enrolled in mainstream
schools to 10 percent by 2013, providing them with “all the requirements of
inclusive education”, according to the strategy.
The
director of the HCD’s follow-up directorate for its inclusive education plan, Essar
Mazahreh, explained to Jordan News that there are no figures showing
whether the percentage of children with disabilities in schools has increased
or declined. Regardless, she said, the directorate is working to implement the ten-year
strategy to enhance education access in the Kingdom.
“We
believe that helping persons with disabilities secure their rights is a
societal responsibility, and will greatly benefit both people with disabilities
and the economy,” she said.
Why
is the rate of school enrollment so low?There
are several reasons for the low level of school attendance among students with
disabilities, Mazahreh said, pointing to a lack of societal awareness concerning
the rights of persons with disabilities and the importance of inclusive
education.
Poor
infrastructure, limited financial resources, and a lack of qualified staff also
contribute to the problem, she noted.
The
HCD is endeavoring to change stereotypes and consolidate the concept that the
rights of persons with disabilities are basic human rights, encouraging the acceptance
of diversity within community environments, she said.
One
important means of doing so is through encouraging parents to enroll their
children with disabilities in schools, Mazahreh explained.
What
are the authorities doing to solve the problem?The
council is working hard to solve the challenges faced by persons with
disabilities, especially in regards to their access to education, in
partnership with the Ministry of Education and international organizations.
It
is accomplishing this through providing funding for schools, developing
infrastructure, equipping schools to accommodate students with disabilities,
training qualified educational staff, and creating friendly and inclusive
educational environments.
The
HCD is also working to implement early intervention programs from the
kindergarten stage, thus facilitating the integration process from childhood, as
well as preparing standards for educational diagnosis with the cooperations of
experts in the field of special education.
Furthermore,
57 support teachers have been appointed to 31 schools and are undergoing
training to assist with the academic integration of students with disabilities.
The
council also participates with civil society organizations and institutions in
conducting awareness training programs to raise community support for inclusive
education and empower local organizations with tools and strategies to gain
support and advocacy.
On
a government level, the HCD and the Education Ministry have amended and added
legislation to support young people with disabilities.
Experts
weigh in on inclusive educationOne
Jordanian activist for people with disabilities, Iman Al-Abbadi, told Jordan
News that centers and clubs should be opened to help people with
disabilities leverage their roles in society, and schools should be equipped to
enhance integration and ensure the enrolment of the largest possible number of
students with disabilities.
She
called for focusing on literacy programs so that students with disabilities can
actively participate in society without feeling excluded.
Meanwhile,
Hussein Al-Khuzai, a professor of sociology at the University of Jordan, called
the 2 percent enrollment rate of “very low”, attributing it to a lack of
necessary tools and a lack of sufficient specialists at government schools and
some private schools.
“This
makes it difficult for people with disabilities to integrate into society, and
impossible for society to benefit from their capabilities,” he said.
Looking
outside Jordan for inspiration“If
we want to raise the percentage of learners with special needs, there are many
solutions adopted by many countries, including countries in Southeast Asia, Latin
America, and Scandinavia, which create sustainable solutions inside the
classroom,” said Suha Tabbal, a specialist in the field of Early Childhood
Special Education.
“We
have to take advantage of their experiences.”
The
concerned authorities, she said, “should not wait to obtain financial
allocations in order to integrate” students with disabilities into schools.
“There
are alternative options,” she said, noting that some countries provide training
diplomas for teachers after their university studies that will equip them to
create suitable educational environments for students with disabilities.
“We
could also rely on peer tutoring by talented children who can volunteer” to
help teach those who have fallen behind in their studies, Tabbal added.
Inclusivity
as a top priority
HH
Prince Mired, president of the HCD, met with the head and members of the
Senate's citizens' freedoms and rights committee on January 16 to discuss the
right of persons with disabilities to access services and programs provided by public
institutions.
While
Jordan has made “remarkable progress” in the field of legislation with the
issuance of an anti-discrimination law, constitutional amendments, and amendments to the civil service system,
Prince Mired confirmed that the greatest challenge faced by this segment of
society is education.
Noting
that education allocations for persons with disabilities are still “below ambition”,
he called for making inclusivity the top priority of educational strategies.
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