Dr. El-Minshawy: The forum is an important step to enhance the role of the University in preparing qualified educational cadres in caring for children with special needs

Assiut University President: The forum is in line with the state's trends in empowering people of determination and integrating them within Egypt's Vision 2030

Dr. Ahmed El-Minshawy, president of Assiut University, opened today, Wednesday, May 7, the second forum for students of teachers of children with special needs and the Montessori curriculum, organized by the Faculty of Early Childhood Education.

 

The forum is held to celebrate the conclusion of the activities of the students of the first division, which have two programs: preparing teachers for children with special needs and preparing teachers for children with the integrated activities system of Montessori. These programs are supervised by Dr. Ahmed Abdulmoula, vice president of the University for Education and Student Affairs, Dr. Yara Ibrahim, dean of the college, and the chairman of the forum.

 

The forum's activities were attended by: Dr. Ghada sweifi, vice dean for education and student affairs, coordinator of the forum, Dr. Manal Anwar, vice dean for graduate studies and research, Dr. Lamia Kadwani, vice dean for community service and Environmental Development, Dr. Asma Abdulkarim, Secretary of the forum, Dr. Rania Al-Jundi, Dr. Wafa Maher, the decisions of the forum.

 

A number of directors and officials of centers and institutions specialized in children's education, representatives of the Department of Special Education for Education and Inclusive Kindergartens, and a selection of faculty members at the faculties of Education, Early Childhood Education, and Qualitative Education also attended.

At the beginning of his speech during the opening of the forum, Dr. Ahmed El-Minshawy expressed his happiness with the participation of the College of education for early childhood in the opening of its second forum for students of teachers of children with special needs and the Montessori curriculum, stressing that this event represents an important step towards enhancing the role of the University in preparing qualified educational cadres, possessing the competence and knowledge to keep abreast of the developments of the educational process, and responding to the requirements of educational development, especially in the fields of early childhood and caring for children with special needs, as they are important foundations in building a more just and inclusive society.

 

The president of the University added: "the organization of this forum comes within the framework of the great attention paid by the state to supporting and empowering people of determination, a trend that His Excellency President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi always emphasizes by making their rights and full integration into society a national priority and a key pillar in achieving the development goals within Egypt's Vision 2030 ."

 

Dr. Ahmed El-Minshawy stressed that Assiut University assumes a great responsibility in preparing and qualifying educational cadres capable of positively interacting with the needs of this dear category of compatriots, by providing them with skills and knowledge that qualify them to work efficiently and professionally in this important humanitarian and educational field.

 

He added that the university continues to develop its academic and training programs in line with the latest educational trends, and the most prominent of these programs is the Montessori curriculum, which has proven successful in supporting children's abilities and providing an educational environment that takes into account individual differences and promotes self-learning and creativity.

 

The president of Assiut University stressed that this forum embodies the outstanding fruit of the activities of the students of the first division with two leading programs: the program for preparing teachers of children with special needs, and the program for preparing teachers of children with the system of integrated activities – Montessori, which reflect the vision of the College in preparing a generation of scientifically and educationally qualified teachers.

 

At the end of his speech, Dr. El-Minshaw extended his sincere thanks and appreciation to all those who contributed to the organization of this forum, including the faculty members, the auxiliary staff, students, and administrators, for their sincere efforts in making this important event a success, hoping that the forum will achieve its goals in enriching the experiences of our students and preparing them to be teachers with a high degree of efficiency and responsibility.

 

Dr. Yara Ibrahim explained that the forum aimed to highlight the college's role in preparing future teachers in line with the needs of the labor market, and at the same time embodies the college's vision of linking academic education with practical application, through partnership with community institutions, and providing opportunities for its students to interact directly with real-life work environments.

 

She added that this is in line with the national strategy for higher education and scientific research in Egypt 2030, which aims to promote innovation and link education with the labor market, as well as support the Sustainable Development Goals, especially the fourth goal related to ensuring equitable and inclusive quality education for all.

 

In this context, the chairperson of the forum stressed that the college offers two distinct programs: the program for preparing teachers of children with special needs and the Montessori program, both of which seek to qualify educational cadres capable of achieving effective integration and dealing with diverse educational environments efficiently and consciously.

 

Within the framework of the forum activities, Dr. Ahmed El-Minshawy opened a simulation exhibition for the "Montessori" kindergarten, preparing children's teachers with the "Montessori" integrated activities system. the exhibition included a variety of educational and sensory aids designed according to the Montessori philosophy, which takes into account individual differences between children, supports active interaction and the development of their sensory and motor skills. Among the tools on display are: color boxes, Brown ladder, pink tower, spinning box, and sanding boards.

 

The exhibition was held under the supervision of Dr. Wafa Maher, assistant professor at the Department of Basic Sciences, and Dr. Rania Al-Jundi, assistant professor at the Department of Educational Sciences, and coordinator of the program for preparing children's teachers with the integrated activities system "Montessori".

 

Dr. Ahmed El-Minshawy also opened the exhibition of educational products and tools for children with special needs, which was presented by the students of the special needs teachers' preparation program. The exhibition included a set of educational models designed by the students of the program, to develop cognitive, motor, and social skills in children and contribute to facilitating the educational process and achieving effective integration within the educational environment.

 

The exhibition was organized under the supervision of: Dr. Reham Al-meliji, head of the Department of Educational Sciences, Dr. Manal Anwar, professor at the Department of Educational Sciences and vice dean of the college for graduate studies and research, Dr. Doaa Mohammed Mustafa, head of the Department of Psychological Sciences, Dr. Jihad Taha, teacher at the Department of Educational Sciences and program coordinator.

 

The forum witnessed various artistic events, where the students of the first band presented an awareness show entitled "moment of awareness", followed by distinguished performances by the children of Al Noor school for the blind and Al Amal school for the deaf, highlighting their talents and outstanding abilities.

 

The events also included a singing performance in sign language, as well as the performance of "the descendants of Montessori", presented by the students of the first troupe of the Montessori system Teacher Preparation Program for children, and the operetta "Zik Zina", presented by one of the distinguished graduates of the College in the field of special education.

 

At the end of the opening session of the forum, the forum Shield was presented to Dr. Ahmed Al-manshawi, president of the University, and Dr. Ahmed Abdulmoula, vice president for education and student affairs, in appreciation of their continuous support for the activities of the college.

 

Ms. Mona Abu Talab, director of the special education department at the Directorate of education, Ms. hind suaifi, director of Al Noor school for the blind, Mr. Ahmed Farouk, director of Al Amal school for the deaf, in addition to the participating children and supervisors from Al Noor and Al Amal schools, were also honored in recognition of their active role and distinguished contributions to the success of the forum's activities.

 

The forum included the holding of two Scientific Sessions that discussed the most prominent challenges facing the reality of specialized education. The first session, entitled "Preparing teachers of the special needs program", addressed the issues and problems facing institutions and caregivers of children with special needs, supported by the results of a field survey that included a number of special education centers in Assiut governorate, which added a practical dimension to the dialogue.

 

The second session, which was entitled "Preparing teachers of the Montessori integrated activities program", focused on the challenges facing kindergarten teachers in applying the Montessori philosophy, which contributes to the development of the educational environment according to a modern educational methodology that supports the child's development.