Over 3,500 students of determination enrolled at Dubai schools

Dubai - In the past, parents of children of determination had complained of having to shell out extra in tuition fees and learning support assistants.

More than 3,500 students of determination are enrolled in private schools in Dubai, 71 per cent of which provide a good or better quality of education, a new report has revealed. This represents an increase of five per cent in the number of students of determination in private schools as compared to last year.
This came as the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) released detailed findings of its latest school inspection report.
"Improved commitment by school leaders towards the inclusion of students of determination has enhanced procedures to identify their needs. The proportion of students of determination in Dubai private schools is around 6 per cent of the total school population," the report said.
In the past, parents of children of determination had complained of having to shell out extra in tuition fees and learning support assistants. In 2017, however, the KHDA made it mandatory for all private schools in Dubai to become fully inclusive by 2020. The authority had also released a guide, which had specific requirements each school had to follow - all the way from ensuring no child with special needs is refused admissions and that the costs/fees issued to them for their studies/requirements are justified.
Brendon Fulton, the principal of the Dubai British School (DBS), told Khaleej Times that his school has "fully embraced" Dubai's new inclusion agenda and they have "worked hard" to ensure that students of determination are given every opportunity to experience success.
"Upskilling of staff, employment of additional staff and strategic planning have all ensured that the school continues to develop its inclusive education offering.
"Every student should have an opportunity to experience success in a way that is meaningful to them. DBS and DBS JP, as with all Taaleem schools, provide a fully inclusive education which does not exclude any student, regardless of perceived barriers to learning. In order to support this philosophy, we employ highly qualified inclusion leaders, inclusion teachers and inclusion support staff, but, more importantly, we ensure that all teachers are skilled in catering to the varying needs of all the learners in their classroom."
Fatima Martin, principal, GEMS New Millennium School- Al Khail, said the school "revisited our school ethos" for inclusion. "This commitment has only cascaded to all levels of our institution, ensuring that our special students are making tremendous progress towards their learning and developmental goals. Over the last year, we have (had) exceptional success stories from this cohort. They are moving forward stridently, establishing remarkable personal and social skills alongside their academic goals."
Parent-speak
Andrea Allen is the parent of a 12-year-old child with autism who has been attending a mainstream school since foundation stage. She said they've had their "ups and downs" with the school, but said "it's great more schools are moving forward with inclusion".
"In September last year, my son started secondary school and went into year 7. It was a nerve-racking time for all of us. We were lucky that we got huge amounts of support from our primary school. The learning support team helped transition us to their sister school for secondary and they were fantastic. Everything started great in the first term," she said.
"The primary school we came from has a huge inclusion policy, they have a lot of SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) children, but the secondary school we've transitioned to does not have it on the same level. It doesn't have the same staffing levels for SEND students either. They've hit their challenges, not just with my child, but others, too.
"I think it's fantastic that the schools now are being more inclusive. They're accepting children who have a right to education and access to mainstream schools. There's no reason why our children shouldn't be included. But I truly believe that schools need to catch up, they need more special needs training. It's great following the guidelines of inclusiveness, but if you're going to do it, you have to do it properly. They have to train and support their staff to ensure everyone feels comfortable with moving forward in inclusion."
sarwat@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai