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

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