The Special Education Department in Dar Al-Hekma University organized its second annual seminar on the campus recently. Titled "Our Contribution Transcended," the seminar aimed to spread awareness in community and improve the quality of special education. More than 650 women, mainly general and special education teachers, supervisors and principals from public and private schools in Jeddah, attended the two-day event on Dec. 2 and 3. The seminar coincided with the International Exceptional Children's Day. After gauging the extent of the need for special education in the community, Dar Al-Hekma last year started organizing the annual seminar that focused on issues related to learning difficulties and ways to deal with them in schools. "Dar Al-Hekma University's vision is the engine that builds the educational strategic plans that goes hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Education's vision in delivering education that competes globally and contributes in building the society locally," said Dr. Suhair Al-Qurashi, president of Dar Al-Hekma. The first day of the seminar consisted of 13 workshops tdesigned for special and general education teachers and educational supervisors. More than 250 teachers and supervisors attended these workshops. On the second day, Dar Al-Hekma organized a panel discussion with special or general education experts on the panel. The discussion covered several topics that included "The General Education Teacher's Role with Special Education Students", "Multidisciplinary Team Cooperation", "Interference Between Referral, Diagnosis and Treatment Plan" and "Learning Difficulties Correction Methods". More than 400 supervisors and principals of primary, middle and secondary schools in Jeddah attended the discussion that lasted for more than three hours. — SG
