Dubai: The Ministry of Education has been inspired by the humane thought of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, a top official said.
Dr Hanif Hassan, Minister of Education, yesterday praised Shaikh Mohammad for the great care given to people with special needs and for his efforts to see them integrated into society.
"The ministry has been inspired by Shaikh Mohammad's humanitarian approach in developing programmes aimed at the welfare of the people with special needs," Hassan said.
"Under his wise directives, the ministry introduced the Special Education Department, which endeavours to provide better education opportunities for people with special needs," the minister said.
He added that as a gesture of appreciation, people with special needs in the UAE would send a letter of gratitude to Shaikh Mohammad.
"Shaikh Mohammad cultivated deep human concepts in society, and was very keen to protect the interests of people with special needs and qualify them to be productive and to enjoy a dignified life, just like their normal counterparts," the minister said.
Largest letter
"The ministry works to achieve this target by following the best international standards in terms of school equipment, curriculum and educational instruments," he said.
The letter will be the largest letter in the world, Hassan said, adding that people with special needs want to express their appreciation of the Vice-President's generous support extended to this category, both in the UAE and abroad.