The Minister of Education holds a discussion session to determine the mechanisms for implementing the President's recommendations on the "Companions are able to differ" initiative
Dr. Reda Hegazy: The political leadership pays great attention to people of determination because it is convinced of the importance of caring for this group and granting it all societal rights
The session comes within the framework of several sessions aimed at soliciting opinions and identifying implementation mechanisms and following them up so that they bear fruit on the ground
The importance of the Rufaqa initiative "Able to be different" lies in demonstrating integration in its broadest sense, not just academic integration
We have 101,691 students integrated into public schools, and 44,373 students in special education
The participation of successful models of people of determination in the upcoming sessions to listen to their success journey and discuss the most important challenges they faced
Dr. Reda Hegazy, Minister of Education and Technical Education, held a discussion session to implement the recommendations of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, regarding the Companions initiative "They are able to differ", within the framework of the strategy pursued by the Ministry of Education and Technical Education to seek all opinions about the ministry's mechanisms for implementing these recommendations.
The discussion session included the participation of all parties related to the initiative, which included a number of press and media figures, members of Parliament, representatives of the Decent Life Foundation, educational experts, professors of education colleges, teachers, ministry leaders, parents of people of determination, and students of determination.
Dr. Reda Hegazy started the session by welcoming the attendees, stressing that the state and the political leadership pay great attention to people of determination, due to their conviction and full belief in the importance of caring for this category and granting them all societal rights, which necessitates the necessity of participatory action and the unification of all efforts to achieve this goal.
The minister added that the discussion session represents the first session among several sessions aimed at exploring opinions, identifying implementation mechanisms, and following up implementation mechanisms so that they bear fruit on the ground.
Dr. Reda Hijazi explained that the ministry has 101,691 students integrated in public schools, 44,373 special education students, and 11 classes for people with multiple disabilities. Special education students vary between mental, visual and auditory disabilities, and the number of special education teachers is 9,762.
The Minister pointed out that the importance of the “Rofaqaa” initiative “They are capable of differently” lies in demonstrating integration in its broadest sense, which includes social integration and not academic integration only, indicating that people are social by nature, which necessitates the importance of having one or more companions for each person of determination at the family and school levels, adding That the teacher should be a companion and the father, mother, sisters and fellow students as companions too.
Dr. Reda Hegazy emphasized that showing the energy of those who are capable of different kinds, supporting, developing and investing their talent supports their sense of self-confidence and respect for the other, adding that the Ministry is always striving to provide education and implement the integration strategy for people of determination in various public education schools, with the aim of providing equal educational opportunities and ensuring distinguished educational quality for them.
The minister also stressed the importance of supporting life skills for people of determination to enable them to engage in society, which makes them an influential and effective force in social life.
The discussion session included a workshop during which the participating attendees were divided into several groups to develop a number of proposals that concluded the importance of defining the concept of a comrade who is capable of differently and choosing trainers who have competence that qualifies them to deal with them, in addition to spreading awareness campaigns and providing aspects of psychological support, and paying attention to various activities to suit their ability with Companions to practice activities, in addition to organizing training courses for companions, as well as interest in establishing government centers to develop their skills, and to enhance teamwork by setting up camps for them to develop their capabilities for community coexistence, and to provide opportunities for their participation in local and international forums and competitions, as well as the importance of coordination with the Building Authority To equip schools with the needs of people of determination, whether in existing schools or newly established schools.
The attendees’ proposals also included the importance of developing and adapting curricula that suit people of determination, exploiting modern technological means to serve them, developing some specializations that are suitable for this category, as well as linking them to the labor market, amending some legislation, increasing the areas of activities, discovering and sponsoring talented ones, and organizing exhibitions. them, and the implementation of television programs with the participation of people of determination and their companions.
At the end of the panel discussion, the minister expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to all the participants for all the ideas and proposals they presented, which help in setting implementation mechanisms, directing the need for successful models of people of determination to participate in the upcoming discussion sessions to listen to their success journey and discuss the most important challenges they faced.
Dr. Reda Hijazi also honored a number of students of determination who participated in the discussion session, in appreciation of them and their constructive ideas that they shared during the session.
The panel discussion was attended by Dr. Sami Hashem, Chairman of the Education and Scientific Research Committee in the House of Representatives, Dr. Amal Sweidan, Chairman of the Educational Studies Sector Committee at the Supreme Council of Universities, Ms. Nada Khader, Head of the Initiatives and Integrated Development Sector at the Decent Life Foundation, and Ms. Heba Al-Sharqawi, Director of the Education Department at the Decent Life Foundation. Mr. Refaat Fayyad, Editor-in-Chief of Akhbar Al-Youm, Mr. Mohamed Al-Saim, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Gomhoria newspaper, Mr. Mohamed Habib, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Ahram newspaper, Ms. Abeer Ghanem, journalist at Al-Ahram newspaper, Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, Dean of the Faculty of Specific Education in Benha, Dr. Rehab Ahmed Ibrahim, Faculty of Educational Studies, and Professor Abdul Raouf Allam, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Trustees, Parents and Teachers, Mr. Al-Sayyid Hijazi, former member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Zainab Muhammad Hassan, Director of the Professional Academy for Teachers, and Dr. Amal Ezzat, Special Education Consultant, in addition to the Ministry’s leaders and a number of students of determination and parents of people of determination.