JEDDAH, 14 March 2006 — With the new drive to integrate mentally disabled people into regular schools and jobs in the Kingdom, the Ministry of Higher Education is accepting applications for scholarships for aspiring special-education teachers.
The ministry is working with Sultan ibn Abdul Aziz Foundation to encourage Saudi students to acquire teaching degrees with an emphasis on educating children with a range of special needs.
Turki Al-Ali, a representative from the foundation, told Arab News yesterday that full-time students planning to begin their college studies in the fall semester are eligible for the scholarships. The application deadline is March 29. Interested students can learn more and apply through the ministry’s website: www.mohe.gov.sa. The foundation will establish a committee that will review and select the applicants.
Students interested in the scholarships must be pursuing either a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree at a qualified US university. They should also have made arrangements for their visa.
In order to qualify, students seeking a bachelor’s degree must have graduated within the past three years with a minimum high school degree score of 85 percent and a score of 70 percent in the general-abilities exam. Master’s and doctoral degree applicants must have earned their previous degrees within the past five years.
Students interested in the scholarships should be interested in specialized teaching in the following categories: autism, gifted and talented, mental retardation, visual impairment, learning disabilities, multi handicapped, behavioral and emotional disorders, attention deficit disorder, communication disorders, hearing impairment, early intervention in special education, technology for disabled, special education diagnosis or gifted disabled.
