Abstract
Should children with disabilities be educated in special schools, or should they be sent to mainstream schools, to receive education in the same environment alongside their 'able-bodied peers'?
In Egypt, special schools for children with special needs or disabilities including visual and hearing impairment and mental handicap, were established since early 1940's. These schools, several of them operated by NG0s, became part of the State School System, as the Ministry of Education took responsibility for the education of all school-age children, including those with special needs. Today, there are over 100 special schools which are mostly located in large cities and urban centres. These schools cater for more than 50,000 pupils from ages 4 to l8 years. There are a number of colleges and universities with departments of special education that train and certify teachers capable of providing education to children with special needs. In spite of these impressive records these schools face many basic problems.
This paper will highlight and discuss these problems and will propose solutions that might overcome these problems.
 |
 |