New school for deaf and blind children to open in Syria’s Raqqa
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – Issa al-Sheikh, co-chair of the administration of Martyr Faisal al-Huwaidi Center for the Rehabilitation of the Deaf and Blind in Raqqa, said on Sunday that the center is preparing to start the new school year and has set its sights on receiving approximately 130 new children, bringing the total to 260.
Since last week, the center has started receiving students for the 2021-2022 academic year, amid difficulties facing the school due to the lack of supplies and basic materials for students.
On September 13, 2020, the Raqqa Civil Council inaugurated the Rehabilitation Center for the Deaf and Blind in the city of Raqqa with the name Martyr Bashir Faisal al-Huwaidi Center, which is the first of its kind in northeast Syria.
Al-Sheikh added that one of the difficulties faced by the staff was the integration of children into the new environment, in addition to the great lack of capabilities provided, as there is no community or civic organization to provide support for the rehabilitation and integration of children with audio-visual impairments, some of whom need special tools or attention.
The center employs 35 specialized teachers and trainers, including 20 female teachers specialized in the field of education and psychological support, and their task is to train children according to their specializations.
Al-Sheikh indicated that the center needs support for the children and necessary supplies, the most important of which are hearing aids and Braille keyboards for those with visual impairments.
Among the obstacles that the center faced last year was the lack of buses to transport the children to and from the center, as 50 students were transported in three buses belonging to the center, although they were intended to transport only 24 students, according to the center’s management.