Dubai: Nineteen special needs pupils will have the opportunity to stay - for at least one more academic year, in their school following the management's decision not to shut down its 15-year old special needs centre.
The Emirates English Speaking School, one of the few schools to offer mainstream and borderline education for pupils with special needs, has revoked its earlier decision to shut down its special needs centre following a plea by parents.
In a meeting yesterday at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) along with S.S.U. Tabrez, the principal of the school and parents, it was announced out of the 43 special needs pupils 19 will remain in the school until March 2009. However, it has still not been decided whether the school will expand its special needs department or shut it down after the end of the academic year.
"What happened earlier was just a misunderstanding and not a problem. Thanks to the initiative of the school, the special needs unit will continue," said Mohammad Darwish, Chief of Licensing and Customer Relations at the KHDA.
The initial decision by the school management to close its special needs department, after running it successfully for 15 years, caused an outcry. The decision was approved by the Ministry of Social Affairs as the licensing of the department was under its jurisdiction. However, now it has been moved to the KHDA.
In an earlier Gulf News report, S.S.U. Tabrez, said the closure was "due to acute space constraints." He said these remained but the 19 students would be moved to classrooms in the main building.
The remaining parents are said to have relocated to other special needs centres or mainstream schools.
"We are satisfied by the decision but are still concerned over the fate of our children after March 2009. The school is the only one in Dubai to offer training and facilities for borderline pupils," said Stanley Mathews, who has an 11-year-old at the centre.
"Removing a special needs child from a familiar environment has its repercussions. Besides finding alternatives is not an easy option.. it is very difficult to get acceptance from private schools," said Parkash Lalwani, another parent.
The issue will remain under the coordination of the school management, parents and the KHDA.
By Siham Al Najami, Staff Reporter