Female deaf students at KU, PAAET decry situation of special education
Assembly to debate new private education bill soon
KUWAIT CITY, June 3: Several female deaf students at Kuwait University (KU) and the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) considered the situation of special education in the country to be of low standard with inappropriate curricula, while teachers not mastering the sign language are baking illiterate products that cannot read or write, reports Al-Qabas daily.
They described lack of cooperation of the Special Education Schools Administration and the Ministry of Education in providing interpreters as a major challenge.
The female deaf students at Kuwait University commended the university administration for the initiative of allocating a budget for interpreters. However, their counterparts at the PAAET wondered whether it was reasonable for an academic staff to pay expert interpreters to help them with sign language in their studies. They lamented shortage of female interpreters, stressing the male interpreters are not allowed to enter the female sections.
One of the students Hawraa Ibrahim urged the academic staff to consider students with hearing impairment to deal with them based on their speech disability. She said a deaf student needs a special method that is appropriate for her situation to enhance understanding and academic accomplishment.
She reaffirmed that teaching deaf students is often done by regular teachers who are fit to teach using sign language as they cannot master learning skill like other students except drawing, mathematics, and understanding of minor and clear figures. She said they are slow learners when it comes to reading, science, calculation, history and geography.
Agencies add:
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for Private and Thematic Education Affairs said Saturday the Cabinet will table to the National Assembly a new bill on private education in the coming legislative term.
The draft addresses all matters relating to the private education sector and will help improve the quality of private education in the country, Dr Abdulmohsen Al-Howaila said.
He made the press remarks after attending the graduation ceremony of grade 12 at Martyr Asrar Al-Qabandi Bilingual School.
The ceremony was held under auspices of Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Dr Hamed Al-Azmi. Dr Al-Howaila affirmed the Ministry’s keenness on improving the operating system of the
private education and modernizing its curricula.
Meanwhile, Chairperson of Kuwait Women’s Voluntary Association for Community Service Sheikha Fadia Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah said Martyr Asrar Al-Qabandi
Bilingual School, an affiliate of the Association, is keen in keeping abreast of the latest developments in education.
The school took great strides towards modernization over the last seven years thanks to the honorary chairperson of the
Association Sheikha Latifa Al-Salem Al-Sabah, she told reporters. The school is committed to contributing to the development of the educational process and building the capacity of the local cadres, Sheikha Fadia added.