Dubai: Knowledge and Human Development Authority is desperately seeking places for 19 special needs kids in any private school as the children's special centre will closed own in March next year.
The initial plea of parents of children with special needs studying at the Emirates English Speaking School started early last year when some 43 children studying at the special needs department were asked to leave the school at the end of the academic year.
The centre caters for borderline special needs children who gradually take classes along with their mainstream classmates, which in their case is critical for their developmental skills.
In an earlier written statement to Gulf News, S.S.U. Tabrez, the principal of the school, stated that "due to acute constraints of space we are closing the centre (Emirates English Speaking Centre for Special Needs) with prior approval from the Ministry of Social Affairs which is the licencing authority."
Following the parents' plea to the press and the Authority, the school agreed to keep 19 special needs children for one more academic year while finding alternatives for the rest.
Tabrez said from the beginning parents were provided with alternative centres and one of these institutions agreed to accept all children but the initiative was refused by some parents since it does not include school integration.
"Some of our children have borderline learning and behavioural disorders, whereby they do not fit into any institution and need to be in the company of regular school goers and Emirates English provides that environment," said A.M., a parent.
By Siham Al Najami, Staff Reporter