‘Future Profession’ project is reviewed

The Education Ministry is in its best efforts to support students suffering from mental disabilities. Education Minister, Dr Majid Al Nuaimi, received special education specialist, Fatima Al Atawi, who briefed him about the “Future Profession” project benefiting students with mental disabilities, who are integrated in public schools.

The project aims to prepare students with special needs to make a career after their graduation, through implementing a set of activities in various fields, including agriculture, drawing, sewing and cooking, in order to help them start their own small enterprises in the future. The minister lauded the project which motivates such students to learn and take full advantage of their skills in such fields, especially in light of the Education Ministry’s integration of students with special needs in 82 schools, or 40 per cent of the total number of schools.

He gave directives to relevant sides at the Ministry of Education to benefit of the project and discuss the mechanisms of its implementation. After a heated debate, MPs recently agreed to approve a law to restrict the increase of students’ fee at schools. Private schools will not be able to increase the school fee every year, according to a law passed by the parliament. MPs voted in favour of restricting school fees to not more than three per cent every three years. The conclusion was made after heated discussions between MPs in yesterday’s parliament session for more than two hours. MPs argued that some private schools have increased fees so much that it has become unaffordable to many Bahrainis.

They said such increases are immoral especially in the education sector. This comes after new performance based criteria was launched last year where only schools rated “Good” or “Excellent” will be authorised to increase students’ fees by five per cent, pending board of directors’ approval.