In early November, University of Oregon welcomed 21 members of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education at the College of Education on campus. The two-week visit provided Saudi educators an opportunity to examine the inclusive environment for students with disabilities at UO, according to Valerie Close, Early Childhood CARES, an early intervention program based at UO.
UO educators Dan Close, John Lind and Debbie Igan will spend the next two weeks in Saudi Arabia to help remodel Saudi Arabia’s system of education for disabled students.
Saudi students with disabilities currently have separated schools from the public school students. Despite a number of existing programs for students with special needs, the Saudi Ministry of Education understands disabled students shouldn’t be removed from their peers. They have turned to UO for help developing an environment where all students can be together.
The six-month contract between Saudi government and UO specifically focuses on training local educators and refining policy in the public school system to include more students with disabilities.
Valerie Close is also a primary developer of the program. She said the upcoming trip will also focus on preparing educators to adapt the new environment culturally, as the transition will cause concern not only among teachers but also parents of all students.
“There are many challenges,” Close said. “But it is a country with rich resources and well educated population to help.”
The policy will be finalized next January. The first step Saudi educators hope to achieve is to apply the inclusive education to six schools in the beginning of September 2015.
This is not the first time UO College of Education helped an abroad institution reforming its educational system. They had consulted India, Bangladesh, Ukraine and Laos – countries with similar challenges – over the past few years.
“What motivates me is to see doors open to people with disabilities,” Close said. “Children with disabilities should not be forbidden to have the same life experiences within reach to all of us.”
For more information, visit UO College of Education.