INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN SHARJAH
In collaboration with Al Dhaid University, Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS) hosted a dialogue session titled "Post-High School: Building Bridges to Higher Education in Inclusion" on Thursday, February 12, 2026.
In order to increase community and institutional awareness of the concept of inclusive education, promote inclusive school practices, and support the delivery of high-quality education for diverse student groups, including individuals with disabilities, SCHS celebrates Inclusive Education Month every year, which includes the seminar.
Seminar Objectives
The symposium's objectives were to: foster collaboration between educational institutions and community sectors to guarantee sustainable pathways for students after graduation; highlight the opportunities and challenges faced by students with disabilities during the transition from school to higher education and the labor market; and share best local and international practices in creating successful transition programs based on the principles of inclusive education.
Welcoming Speech
Social worker Arwa Mohammed Hamad Al Ali, who presented the symposium, gave a welcome speech in which she emphasized the significance of the school-to-university transitional stage and the opportunities and challenges it presents for students with disabilities in the quest for a more inclusive and equitable educational system.
Dr. Aisha Statement
Following that, Al Dhaid University Director Dr. Aisha Bushlaibi gave a speech in which she discussed the university's delight in its strategic collaboration with SCHS, which stems from its strong conviction that inclusive education is a shared obligation and a long-term national goal.
In order to provide clear and long-lasting transition pathways from education to employment, she emphasized the importance of establishing productive collaborations with community institutions and the labor market, stating that integration is not a short-term project but rather an integrated institutional strategy.
In her speech, she renewed the university’s commitment to continue working together with SCHS and all higher education institutions to promote an inclusive educational system that ensures quality and continuity, and active participation in community development.
Mrs. Mona Statement
Following that, SCHS Director General Mr. Mona Abdul Karim Al Yafei gave a speech in which she commended Al Dhaid University as a strategic partner and explained that the discussion of the post-secondary stage is the result of a lengthy institutional work in the field of inclusion since SCHS was founded in 1979, when individuals with disabilities were incorporated into the core of SCHS's educational mission.
In line with initiatives to integrate individuals with physical disabilities and create supportive built environments to enable accessibility and mobility, she noted, SCHS has been integrating visually and hearing-impaired kids into public schools since 1995. Through regular follow-up by expert teams, SCHS has also worked to integrate individuals with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities since 2006 in order to guarantee the best social and academic results.
Together with its educational partners, SCHS has successfully integrated 713 male and female students with disabilities into public schools since establishing the Inclusive Education Unit in 2017 to solidify the concept on both a theoretical and practical level. This has helped to create an inclusive education system that upholds children's rights and offers engaging learning environments.
In particular, the post-secondary stage is a delicate and sensitive transitioning stage for many students and their families. Al-Yafai has emphasized that the true problem today is not only to provide education but also to ensure its continuation, quality, and fairness.
Key Challenges
According to her, the main obstacles are the differences in university admissions practices, the different levels of preparedness of university settings, the variety of academic support models, and the lack of obvious routes that connect education to the workforce in a sustainable way.
The general manager of SCHS stressed that goals extend beyond university admissions and include creating sustainable and transparent pathways for students to go from school to college and eventually to actual employment opportunities, all the while fortifying institutional partnerships to guarantee the long-term viability of initiatives.
Inspiring Student Experiences
Abdullah Atef, a student with Down syndrome, was among the students with disabilities who attended the seminar and talked about their own experiences. He talked about his high school experience at Al Noor International School, highlighting how inclusive education affected both his and his family's lives. Participating also was Ali Rashid Al Ketbi, a hearing-impaired student at Al Dhaid University, who talked about his time there and how the school's support system enabled him to adjust and thrive.
Students Rida and Naama Ismail, who have hearing disabilities and are students at the University of Sharjah, spoke about their university experience and the efforts of educational institutions to support them, with a focus on transitioning to the labor market.
Seminar Topics
The first theme, "From School to University," focused on local and international best practices in inclusive education while discussing transitional processes, obstacles, and potential for growth. The relationship between the outputs of higher education and the demands of the labor market was discussed in the second theme, "From Education to the Labor Market," along with the significance of creating efficient and transparent pathways for students with disabilities that guarantee equal opportunities.
Recommendations
The symposium concluded with several practical recommendations to promote inclusive higher education, the most important of which are: unifying standards of services and academic support for students with disabilities among higher education institutions, training faculty members on inclusive education strategies and universal learning design, involving students and their families in designing and evaluating university support, promoting pathways from education to work through effective partnerships with employers, expanding institutional partnerships between universities and SCHS to support students before, during and after university, and adopting a sustainable follow-up model to measure the academic, social and professional impact of students with disabilities.
The participants in the symposium emphasized that inclusive education is a long-term investment in people, human capital, and society, and that students with disabilities do not need exceptional solutions, but rather flexible systems, fair policies, and educational environments that believe in diversity as an added value.
Honoring
Her Excellency Dr. Aisha Bushlaibi, Director of Al Dhaid University, and Her Excellency Mrs. Mona Abdul Karim Al Yafei, Director General of SCHS, concluded by praising the participating gentlemen, representatives of higher education institutions, students, and their families for their support of integration pathways and the symposium's success.
In addition, Mrs. Mona Abdel Karim conveyed her profound gratitude to Dr. Aisha Bushlaibi and Al Dhaid University, the strategic partner in organizing this symposium, for serving as a model for higher education in the country and for their productive collaboration with SCHS on issues of educational justice and inclusion. We value this collaboration and hope to continue to grow it in the future.