Saudi Gazette report

DAMMAM — The Ministry of Education has refused to accept in its general education schools students with autism and Down syndrome deficiencies referred to it by the Ministry of Labor and Social Development.

The latter had referred as many as 7,955 students from its rehabilitation centers to general education schools under a merger program, a report in Makkah daily said.

Several parents have criticized the decision saying it was not carefully studied.

The Labor Ministry said the students were dismissed from daytime care centers to general schools because they have not updated their data on their disability.

In its decision, issued about four months ago, the ministry said any student having autism or Down syndrome would be referred to the general schools with merger programs if he/she scores about 50 percent or more in the IQ test.

It said if the students were not accepted in general schools, they would be referred to support service units and would be informed by text messages.

Umm Waheeb, a mother of a child with Down syndrome, said her son was 25 years old and the comprehensive rehabilitation center dismissed him. She added that when his 70-year-old father complained to the Department of Education in Jeddah they told him that his son was too old to join the merged classrooms.

She said they approached the comprehensive center again, which also refused to take him back. "What shall I do in this case? Where should I go?" she asked.

Abdullah Al-Ghashmari said his 27-year-old brother is mentally retarded and was not accepted by a school with merger programs to which it was referred by the comprehensive rehabilitation center.

"My brother had spent about two years in this center but we now do not know what to do or where to go," he said.

Umm Mishaal, a Saudi mother, said her 8-year-old son is suffering from Down syndrome and was referred to a school. "I am not sure if the school would accept him. I fear bullying or harm to him in the school," she said.