Inclusive Education in Saudi Arabia: Definition, Types, and Implementation Phases

This article discusses the implementation of inclusive education in Saudi Arabia, including its definition, types, and implementation phases. It also covers the targeted groups and eligibility assessment procedures for students with special educational needs.

Inclusive education in SA

2.3.1 Definition of Inclusion in the KSA
In the KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), the general framework for the inclusion of students
with SEN (Special Education Needs) is based on that which has been attempted in the United
States (US). Its primary focus is on enabling students with SEN to be educated in the least
restrictive environment possible (AlMousa, 2010). The SEN concept has been borrowed from
the US Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 2007. It has been adapted by
schools in various ways. It provides various place to be chosen by students with SEN in
general education classes with extra assistance from a specially trained teacher and additional
teaching aids as well.
Such students learn the same content as their typically developing peers. The only difference
it have with other education is some slight changes in teaching methods and resources. In the
case of children who have severe disabilities or difficulties, separate learning units within the
same school are provided. It is another way of including them with simplified content for
students with disabilities. Another way is to include them involves social time being shared
with typically developing peers in non- curricular activities. This partial-inclusion is observed
most frequently in Saudi schools. It suggests that the country has not yet reached the level of
full inclusive practices (AlQuraini, 2011). 30
When the terminologies are used to describe inclusive practice, it is important
to note that the danger of using these terminologies i.e. they might reflect the wrong
practice in KSA context, and in the Arab world as a whole due to these translation issues. The
issues are more risky particularly in relation to the terms inclusion, mainstreaming and
integration. The reason is that these terms reflect different meanings and indicate different
forms of inclusive practices. The Arabic translation of all of them is: ‘‘ ’دمجDamg’ which
literally translates as ‘inclusion’,. In Arabic it means mixing or integrating two or more
things together (Al-Anazi, 2012). So it can be said that, although in KSA the terminology is
used to describe the practice is the term ‘inclusion’, but this does not equate to the meaning
used in other contexts such as the US, Canada or Australia. These terminologies in these
contexts holds far broader meaning. The definition of inclusion adopted by Saudi Ministry of
Education is ‘educating children with special educational needs in regular education
schools, and providing them with special education services’ (Ministry of Education, 2002,
p.8).
Throughout this thesis, the terms inclusion and inclusive education are both used to
refer to this definition.
2.3.2 Types of Inclusion, Targeted Group and Eligibility Assessment
Inclusion is being implemented in KSA either via partial inclusion or in full inclusion. In
partial inclusion the students with SEN are educated in separate classes, with shared break
times and non- curricular activities and in full inclusion all the students, with and without
disabilities receive their education in the same classroom space. Also they are taught the
same content with any changes for students with SEN being facilitated by a ‘resource room’
(Al Mousa, 2010). 31

In KSA, there are two groups which are targeted by inclusion. The first
group is that already found in mainstream schools which includes talented and gifted
children, physically disabled children, children with learning disabilities, low vision
students, and children with communication disorders. The other group consists
of individuals which are traditionally taught in special education such as the blind, the deaf,
those with cognitive disorders, autistic children and children with multiple disabilities
(AlMousa, 2010). Talented and gifted students were also included in the programme of
policies by The General Secretariat of Special Education. Indeed, an integral part of
KSA policy is based on the view that students with SEN, who are either talented or
disabled, ought to be taught at general schools, where they can learn alongside their
peers (Al-Khashrmi, 2000). Such students are believed to constitute at least twenty per
cent of all students in KSA. All of these students are eligible to receive free education and
support in order to meet their unique needs, within the general school system (AlMousa,
2010).
The students' eligibility assessment procedures begin by meeting with the child's
parents, in order to obtain their consent prior to assessing the child. After that as much
information as possible is collected about the child themselves. If the child needs further
assessment, she/he is then referred to a Diagnosis and Assessment Centres. In these centres
the required assessments are conducted by a multi-disciplinary team. Based on this
assessment, the committee determines the appropriate stage for the child to attend. This
procedure can also take place in the school itself which is conducted by the school's
psychologist. The teachers and external agencies may also be involved in order to determine
the student's eligibility for special services (Al-Mousa, 2010). 32
2.3.3 Phases of Implementing Inclusion
The Ministry of Education implemented inclusion in KSA schools in three
main stages which are as follows:
The planning phase,
The implementation phase and
The evaluation phase.
In the planning phase, the Special Education Administration (SEA) starts
by
clarifying the aims and objectives of inclusion programmes in mainstream
schools through
regular meetings with school leaders. This is followed by the process of
determining
the number of students with SEN in various neighbourhoods, so that the
number of programmers required to accommodate them can be
calculated.
The SEA (Student Education Association) then contacted the local
education authorities (LEA) to nominate the schools that were most
appropriate and suitable for establishing inclusion programmes. The

selected schools are then inspected by special education supervisors to
determine whether or not they are suitable for opening inclusion
programmes. The SEA then contacts the special institutes from which the
students are to be transferred. Then the discussions with the students'
parents about the new programmes offered to their children, to allocate
the most geographically convenient schools to each child are held. In
addition, during this stage, the LEA makes efforts to increase the
awareness of inclusion in mainstream school which involves students with
SEN to attend these schools in regular workshops and seminars (Al-
Zahrani, 2000).
The implementation phase, on the other hand, begins by providing the
school’s administration. It involves extensive information about the
categories of students' needs and
the adjustments required on the part of the school to facilitate integration.
The next step
is to allocate the special education teachers to schools where students
with SEN are to
be transferred. This phase also involves preparing and adapting the
classes of mainstream schools and providing appropriate teaching aids
and furniture to suit students with SEN (Al-Zahrani, 2000). This phase also
includes the allocation of a programme Special Educational Needs
Coordinator (SENCO). He is responsible for monitoring day-to-day
inclusion practice, coordinating provisions for students with SEN and
communicating with external agencies. It also includes local educational
authorities and the Administration of Special Education Support, as well as
educational psychology services, and health and social services. 33
The final stage is the evaluation phase. It is a continuous process ongoing
throughout each phase. It is implemented via weekly visits by inspectors
from the Administration of General Education and the Administration of
Special Education, who visit schools in which inclusion programmes have
been implemented. The aim of these visits is to measure the extent to
which students with SEN benefit from inclusion programmes and the
extent to which these programmes are effective. It also aims to evaluate
the school’s efforts to increase awareness about inclusion and SEN
programmes, and to create an inclusive culture in the school (Al-Zahrani,
2000).