Bahrain parents ‘highly satisfied’ with virtual lessons for children with learning difficulties

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com   

Majority of parents have given thumbs-up to the distance learning programme being implemented by the Ministry of Education for students with special needs.

Ministry of Education’s Department of Special Education Director Khaled Al Saeedi revealed that a recent opinion poll conducted by the administration showed parents’ satisfaction and admiration for the application of virtual lessons for their children with learning difficulties and slow learning.

The virtual lessons were launched at the beginning of the current school year as part of great efforts to sustain the education of special education categories.

They praised the teachers’ performance and interaction level, scientific material presented, timing of the lessons, awareness of the safe use of technology, and the rules for distance learning.

Al Saeedi emphasised that many schools received letters of thanks from parents in appreciation of the efforts of special education teachers to sustain the educational services provided to their children despite Bahrain and the whole world passing through this pandemic.

He pointed out that distance learning is being activated for students with special needs of various groups, including the category of simple intellectual disability and Down Syndrome.

Teachers make visual communication through smart applications such as Zoom, and cooperation has also been made with the Information Systems Department to prepare special accounts for students to activate virtual classes.

It has the provision of various lessons and enrichment through the Ministry’s official channel on YouTube, in addition to making use of the various digital content through the educational portal, and the lessons televised on the Bahrain Satellite Channel.

Al Saeedi pointed out that coinciding with the country’s celebrations of national holidays, a number of schools held virtual competitions and events on this occasion, in which many students with special needs participated, expressing their love for their dear country.

He indicated that the programme of caring for outstanding and gifted students is being implemented in 27 primary and preparatory schools, and the services provided by teachers and specialists for excellence and talent are varied.

Thinking skills and counselling As in November this year, 142 lessons in thinking skills and counselling were offered to outstanding students in those schools, as well as 65 enrichment was carried out.

It varied between virtual activities and events for talented students, with 25 leaflets addressed to this elite student body, 31 bulletins for teachers, and 40 awareness activities for parents.

In a meeting with a student’s guardian, Majd Abdullah Ashour, from the integration class at the Diraz Preparatory School for Boys, he praised the great efforts exerted by the teacher of intellectual disability in the school.