Fatima Muhammad
Saudi Gazette
Abdul Rahman Al-Barrak, a consultant to the minister of education, told Saudi Gazette that the ministry will start issuing vouchers for parents of special need pupils, and these vouchers will allow their disabled children to study at private special needs centers at the ministry’s expense.
This move, he said, comes after noticing that a vast number of such pupils are heading to different countries to continue their education, which forces them to stay away from their families.
This strategy will allow children to study inside the country, save expenses on the government and it will encourage the private sector to invest in establishing specialized centers for these pupils.
Al-Barrak gave his statements on the sidelines of Jeddah Economic Forum. He noted that they have a program that aims at engaging disabled pupils with their peers in public schools. This he said is done after evaluating each case in a special center that classify disabled pupils who can engage in school from those who cannot.
Further, he added, that they prefer to keep pupils who suffer from difficulties in learning with their classmates so they can pick up and engage easily.
In this context he said they will be developing the use of technology to enhance self-learning process in schools since similar strategy proved to be successful on university level.
Monira Al-Jamjoum, co-founder and CEO of Emakn Education, highlighted in the education session at JEF that there is a pressing need to “disrupt” the education system. She added that small education providers need trust, supportive legislations and funding to survive as many of them stay in the market for three years only.
To revive the education system she said: “We don’t have time to think in the old ways.”
Al-Jamjoum said that there is a great potential to invest in the education sector especially that the 80% of the middle class are saving money to educate their children.
According to her education is a long-term investment that should put knowledge over financial gain.
