Kuwait: Jasour – News Desk
Abdulaziz Al-Suwaid, Director of the Department of Special Education Schools at the Ministry of Education, stated that Kuwait utilizes all its resources to support, rehabilitate, educate, and integrate individuals with special needs into society.
Al-Suwaid added that the journey of special education schools began in the 1950s when the first specialized school, the Noor Institute for the Blind, was established during the academic year (1955 – 1956). The Special Institutes Complex, now known as the Special Education Schools, was inaugurated in the academic year (1958 – 1959).
He explained that the academic year (1986 – 1987) saw the opening of stages for intellectual education (mental disabilities) and (deaf) following the establishment of primary schools for the hearing and intellectually impaired. The special education schools later expanded to include categories of visual and motor impairments.
Al-Suwaid enumerated the specialized schools according to the type of disability: six schools for intellectual disabilities, including the primary level (Intellectual Education – Boys) and (Intellectual Education – Girls), and the intermediate level (Intellectual Education Rehabilitation – Boys) and (Intellectual Education Rehabilitation – Girls), in addition to (Educational Workshops – Boys) and (Educational Workshops – Girls).
He pointed to the schools (Noor Integrated – Boys) and (Noor Integrated – Girls) for individuals with visual impairments, (Amal Integrated – Boys) and (Amal Integrated – Girls) for individuals with hearing impairments, as well as the (Autistic Behavior) school for individuals with autism, and the (Loyalty – Boys) and (Noor Integrated – Boys) schools for individuals with Down syndrome.
Al-Suwaid noted the existence of seven schools covering all disabilities at various educational levels, including the (Ataya) kindergarten, (Raja Primary – Boys), (Raja Primary – Girls), (Raja Integrated – Boys), (Raja Integrated – Girls), (Tahadi Integrated – Girls), and (Irada Integrated – Boys).
He mentioned that special education schools provide educational services alongside rehabilitative, medical, and social services to help individuals adapt psychologically, socially, and educationally with themselves, their families, and society, enhancing their abilities within the limits of their disabilities.
The services include physical therapy sessions to improve movement and physical abilities, specialized clinics providing care to meet their needs, and speech therapy sessions training them in communication skills.
Al-Suwaid added that the Department of Special Education Schools organizes cultural and recreational activities and provides healthy meals to ensure good nutrition for the students, in addition to transportation services with companions to ensure safe and comfortable travel. He noted that scholarships are offered to students from GCC countries, providing them with internal housing, in addition to monthly stipends for Kuwaiti students and children of Kuwaiti mothers.
