Inclusive and Special Education in the Middle East

Abstract

In the culturally diverse Middle Eastern Arabian world, there are incompatible ideas about and definitions of “inclusion” and “inclusive education,” which result in these terms being multifaceted and complex. The issues surrounding policies, the legislative frameworks—but also the attitudes and practices and their implications for individuals with Special Educational Needs and Disorders (SEND)—are explored in this paper, starting with some consideration of the official guidelines for providing inclusive education and how these are enacted according to the social or local conceptualizations that influence practice. Around the world, the tendency is to support special needs in mainstream classes with other children at all school levels in order to prevent marginalization, labeling, and social stigmatization. However, in the process of developing effective educational policies that benefit students with SEND in practice, it is useful to consider whether inclusion actually serves their needs. Though some progress has been reported in the social integration and inclusion of individuals with SEND, more light needs to be shed on whether, under current circumstances inclusion does indeed benefit people with special needs and disabilities. An analysis of the necessary parameters for supporting a learning environment for the benefit of all children in an inclusive mainstream class is necessary. The examination of inclusion-based practices can help to dispel the misconceptions that consistently surround the practice of educating students with disabilities in any inclusive environment. Recommendations are made for community-oriented sensitization programs and education campaigns but also school-based disability awareness programs and teacher training that could be promoted by governmental organizations, human rights bodies, and other stakeholders in the Arab world to support and empower people with disabilities.

Listen to Me: Parents’ Satisfaction with Special Needs Services in Syria – A Descriptive and Exploratory Study

“…This underscores the need to adopt an integration policy, even if this is challenging, to make public services more inclusive and easier to access for people with disabilities. However, there are incompatible definitions of "inclusion" and "inclusive education" in the Middle Eastern Arabian region, which make these terms complex and multifaceted (Elhoweris & Efthymiou, 2021). Our findings are similar to those by Hadidi and Alkhateeb (2015), who reported that inclusion is still in its infancy or is intermittently available in Arab countries, including Syria.…”

Inclusive learning in higher education: anthropology and critical consciousness lens

“…Although higher education has traditionally been perceived as a vehicle for social mobility and economic advancement, conventional higher education institutions have frequently exhibited exclusivity, mirroring the biases, and prejudices inherent in broader societal constructs. Consequently, numerous students hailing from marginalized demographics have encountered exclusionary practices or marginalization within the sphere of higher education [5]. This movement has been galvanized by a myriad of factors, including the escalating diversity characterizing the composition of the student body, a burgeoning recognition of the pivotal significance of diversity and inclusivity within an increasingly globalized society, and a heightened consciousness concerning the mechanisms through which conventional higher education establishments inadvertently perpetuate societal inequalities.…”

Factors influencing the intention of trainee special education teachers to integrate assistive technology into teaching students with disabilities in the United Arab Emirates

“…Globally, universities have introduced courses in special education to better equip teachers with the pedagogical skills they need to support all students [ 32 , 33 ]. For example, universities in the UAE have introduced special education programmes to ensure that teachers are qualified to teach students with disabilities in their educational settings [ 24 , 34 ]. Special education teachers are expected to acquire pedagogical skills, develop an awareness of AT and have a sufficient understanding of the concept of disability to support their classroom work.…”

“…Special education teachers are expected to acquire pedagogical skills, develop an awareness of AT and have a sufficient understanding of the concept of disability to support their classroom work. Although some advances have been made in this area [ 26 ], gaps remain in practice, as special education teachers appear to struggle to meet the learning needs of students with disabilities [ [23] , [24] , [25] , 34 ]. Since technology is instrumental in contemporary education delivery [ [1] , [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] ], it is useful to expand the literature to include an examination of the perceived skills of pre-service special education teachers in the UAE.…”