DOHA: As part of the ongoing efforts to empower students with disabilities and provide them with equal educational opportunities in accordance with the best international practices, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, in partnership with Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development , announced the official launch of the 'Warif' Academy on Sunday, in the presence of representatives from both parties, headed by Minister of Education and Higher Education HE Lolwah bint Rashid bin Mohammed Al Khater.
During her speech at the inauguration ceremony, the Minister said that the launch of the academy is in line with the State of Qatar’s orientations to promote the principle of equal opportunities and equality among all segments of society, especially people with disabilities.
She also stressed that this initiative is in line with the Third National Development Strategy, which is concerned with launching qualitative initiatives to empower students with disabilities and integrate them into society, and provide them with support to achieve success at the academic and social levels, in the belief that education is a basic human right and a pillar in the path to achieving sustainable development in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.
Warif Academy is the first government school of its kind in the State of Qatar, and receives students with multiple disabilities, including developmental and cognitive disabilities accompanied by physical and health disabilities, which impose severe functional restrictions and require specialized healthcare, in addition to therapeutic and educational programs. The academy focuses on developing the educational and life skills of this group of students, aged between three and 21 years, through a unique approach that meets the national standards of the State of Qatar.
The academy is distinguished by providing a school environment with a modified curriculum that is suitable for students, in addition to specialized rehabilitation services such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and psychological support services, in addition to the use of technological tools that support students functionally and motorically to achieve the desired progress, under the supervision of a team specialized in these fields that was carefully selected in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health.
The academy is set to be launched in five gradual phases.
The first phase, which begins this January, includes five classes for the age group from three to 14 years, and will expand annually to include age groups up to the age of 21 years, with a total of 25 classes and a capacity of 150 male and female students by the academic year 2028-2029.
In this regard, President of Pre-University Education at Qatar FoundationAbeer Al Khalifa stressed the importance of the partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in launching the Warif Academy, praising the prominent role played by the Academy in providing educational and rehabilitation support to students with severe and multiple disabilities .
“We are proud to collaborate with the Ministry to provide students with the best learning opportunities in various educational and therapeutic fields,” said Al Khalifa. “By providing specialized academic programs that offer a comprehensive approach to all necessary interventions and therapeutic procedures, we strive to meet the educational needs of all students, hone their abilities and enable them to achieve the highest levels of growth, development and learning.”
“The academy goes beyond the traditional education framework, providing specialized educational and therapeutic services carefully designed to meet the individual needs of students with disabilities,” she added, explaining that Warif Academyembodies the commitment to providing a nurturing and supportive environment to ensure an effective educational experience, by building a distinguished model that contributes to supporting students’ personal growth, enhances their active participation in society, and qualifies them to face future challenges with confidence and skill inside and outside the academy.
For her part, Director of the Department of Special Education and Inclusive EducationFatima Al Saadi explained that the process of selecting students in the academy is done through a comprehensive assessment conducted by a multidisciplinary team of experts, adding that this process includes multiple assessment stages to ensure understanding the unique needs of each individual student, and meeting them with high-quality personal support.
This initiative comes as part of the Ministry’s strategic plan aimed at developing educational services provided to students with disabilities and their parents in accordance with best practices in the field of their care and education, and achieving the highest levels of independence for students, in addition to motivating the private sector to provide more comprehensive and specialized educational services that support integration efforts, and provide an educational system that matches the distinguished systems in the world by providing high-quality educational and training opportunities that suit the ambitions and capabilities of each individual without exception.
WarifAcademy is a public school launched by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, in partnership with Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. It is the first of its kind in the State of Qatar, and aims to empower students with multiple disabilities, including developmental and cognitive disabilities accompanied by physical and health disabilities, which impose severe functional restrictions and require specialized healthcare, in addition to therapeutic and educational programs , and provide high-quality educational opportunities that meet their diverse needs, achieve their full potential, and ensure their readiness for the labor market .
The Academy specializes in providing educational and rehabilitation services in Arabic for students with disabilities who are not enrolled in education, between the ages of three and 21 years, taking into account the needs of each student according to his or her capabilities and skills, through a specialized team that supervises the educational process according to well-studied educational policies. The Academy accommodates about 150 male and female students.
This initiative falls within the Ministry’s strategic programme 'My Special Path', which aims to improve the inclusiveness and quality of education and develop services provided to students with disabilities, thus contributing to achieving the objectives of the country’s third national development strategy.
