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ZAID ABDULLA AL-MUSLAT ormal education in Saudi Arabia, for both deaf and hearing children, is a product of the twentieth century. Not until King Abdulaziz unified the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932 did education for any of its citizens become a reality. King Abdulaziz entrusted the responsibility of education to one of his sons, the present King Fahd, who established schools all over the country and offered scholarships for study abroad. Organized special education in Saudi Arabia began in 1960, when the Ministry of Education established the Light Institute for Teaching and Training Blind Persons. In 1964, the first two specialized institutes for the education and training of deaf children were opened. In 1971-1972, two institutes for educating, training, and caring for mentally retarded boys and girls were opened in Riyadh. Educational Philosophy in Saudi Arabia The philosophy of education in Saudi Arabia was set forth in the Educational Policy of 1970. This philosophy springs from the religion of Islam in which the nation believes, which provides the basis for its system of government, laws, morals, and its people's way of life. The Educational Policy is a basic component of the general policy of the state. The state is the main body responsible for providing free education of all types and at all levels to all citizens and residents. The state establishes schools, providing the necessary facilities, textbooks, and instructional materials, and grants financial aid to students. The state also trains and qualifies teachers, pays their salaries, promotes them to higher educational posts, grants them internal and external scholarships for cultural exchange with other countries, and pays their pensions. Several articles in the Educational Policy are devoted to the education of handicapped students. For example, the policy states that "[t]he state is concerned about the education of sensorially, physically, and mentally retarded individuals. Special and diversified educational and training programs are set up to suit their needs." Several governmental agencies are responsible for providing services to handicapped citizens in Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of Education provides educational programs to different types of educable, school-age handicapped children and youth. Within the Ministry of Education, the secretariat-general of special education supervises educational, social, technical, and welfare services for these populations. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs provides training and rehabilitation programs for handi- 276 THE DEAF WAY ~ Deaf History capped individuals beyond school age, and the Ministry of Health provides physical rehabilitation programs, including medical, psychological, and counseling services. Many hospitals have clinics for audiology, speech, and hearing therapies. The Coordination Committee of Handicapped Services organizes the work of these three ministries. The General Presidency for Youth Welfare provides sports and recreational services for handicapped youth, especially for deaf people. A special club was established in 1980 for deaf youth to meet for different types of cultural, social, and physical activities . This club, which competes with hearing clubs, is furnished and supported by the government. The Presidency of Youth Welfare also supports an annual olympic sports week for handicapped individuals. Two new professional-level programs began at King Saud University a few years ago. One, in the College of Education, trains special education teachers; the other, in the College of Applied Medical Science, prepares people to work as audiologists and speech and hearing specialists. Education in Saudi Arabia is free for all citizens and residents, and education for deaf children is no exception. The budget for education is increased by the state in accordance with the growing educational needs of the country. In general, the goal of special education, as stated by the Ministry of Education, is to give the children of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia every possible chance for learning according to their abilities. The AI-Amal (Hope) Institutes The idea of teaching deaf students became a reality in Saudi Arabia in 1964, when two special institutes were established in Riyadh, one for boys and another for girls. There were only a few students enrolled in the first school year-sixteen boys and twentyfive girls. However, it did not take very long to increase this number many times over. Government efforts to raise public awareness regarding the desirability of education for deaf people have succeeded, and parents of deaf children have responded positively toward education. Current data show that the number of deaf and hard of hearing students in the Riyadh Education District alone now includes 727 students in the following schools: 299 students in the AI-Amal Institute for Deaf Boys...

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