The head of the Education Organization for Children with Disabilities has urged the State Organization of Schools Renovation, Development, and Mobilization to take into consideration the adaptation of any ongoing construction plan of new schools to suit the needs of physically and mentally challenged children.
Majid Ghadami, at the inauguration ceremony of Shahid Sayyad Shirazi II School for boys with disabilities on October 15, noted that teaching requirements for special schools and children are of high standards and “it is really a difficult task requiring high devotion to the job,” ISNA reported.
He said such schools are also costly and expenses of students with any sort of disability are four or five times that of a normal one; although they are obviously more equipped, however, these schools need to be run by a board of trustees.
Ghadimi emphasized the necessity to provide health care and rehabilitation services to special children before their school age and added “now 72,000 children with disabilities study in special schools” and 38,000 others have participated in a plan to incorporate schools for both normal students and those with specific needs.”By providing pre-school rehabilitation services these children face less problems when they enter school,” he stressed.
Focus on Development
However, the priority is on comprehensiveness, meaning a focus on developing more incorporated schools as children with disabilities need to start their social life from regular schools as well.
Ghadimi said schools need to be adapted to the needs of these children and “all schools should have a ramp for students’ wheelchairs, for instance.”
The Shahid Sayyad Shirazi II is the largest and best equipped education center in Iran for children with disabilities built in an area of 4500 square meters. It has 24 classrooms for pre-school and primary school children and another 10 for junior high, high school and vocational school students.
It is equipped with normal/regular and electric ramps, elevator, 10 intelligent classrooms, and 4 sites for high school students and offers various services including rehabilitation, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech therapy, and technical orthopedics to the students.
