News & Event

Within the Sultanate efforts to form and implement policies and services for Special Education students and their families, a number of meetings were held with experts in special education from member countries in Arab Education Bureau for the Gulf States. The result of the meeting is a mutual question which is How can GCC unite efforts for the benefit of students and children with disabilities and their families? And to reach an answer, it was important to develop a practical plan for two years with participation of experts from MOE, Special Education instructors at SQU, universities of the member countries of the Bureau and international experts in special education field in order to establish a GCC initiative to raise Special Education Field (GC-ASE). The Initiative includes the following steps:
- Identify participants and those interested in the initiative in these countries to establish an affective partnership and to strengthen it with international partners in the Special Education Field.
- Create a formal structure for this initiative.
- Identify mutual issues that would be addressed by the initiative.
- Provide an opportunity to exchange information in order to begin advancement steps in Special Education Field through unifying effective policies and practices.

MOE will host the first symposium of GCC Initiative in Muscat in Shangri La Hotel from 19th  to 21st  October 2014. The meeting will include 9 working papers in this field from Arab and foreign countries.

In addition to MOE participation, a number of authorities will participates such as Ministry of Social Development, Global Health Organization, UNICEF, civil associations, Arab Education Bureau for the Gulf States, SQU, Nizwa University and Ministries of Education in GCC.
Founders:

-Janab Al Sayyida Dr. Sharifa bint Khalid Al Said, Ministry of Education, Sultanate of Oman
-Dr. Clayton Edward Keller, Associate Professor of Special Education, University of Qatar.
-Dr. Mahmood Mohammed Imam, Assistant Professor of Special Education, SQU.
- Dr. Maha Khalil Al Hindawi, Assistant Professor of Special Education, College of Education, Qatar University.
- Dr. Kristen Pawlowskia, Special Education Projects Consultant, Tenured Professor of Special                                                      Education and Behavioural Science, Teachers College, Columbia University.
- Dr/ Susan Spungen, Special Education Expert, Teachers College, Columbia University.