PRCS concluded a project for the development of educational and rehabilitation services in schools and centers for the deaf in the West Bank

Al Bireh- 10/11/2013: Today, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) concluded a project for the development of educational and rehabilitation services at three PRCS centers and schools for the deaf. The project was concluded successfully with the support and cooperation of the Qatar Red Crescent.

The centers targeted by the project comprised the Total Communication Center for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Deaf in Al Bireh; the Center for the Education of the Deaf in Nablus; and the School for the Deaf and Special Education in Bani Naim, Hebron. The aim of the project was to develop the educational, social, professional, and technical abilities of the students and teaching staff to enable deaf students to overcome difficulties and complete their secondary education. The project also targeted the parents of deaf students to develop their role as partners in the educational process and contribute to the development of their children through ensuring integration into society and participation in societal development.

The project involved several educational, training, and recreational activities conducted over a period of two school years. The main activities included training courses for staff working at the schools and centers for the deaf on the evaluation and assessment of the abilities of deaf students, drawing up individualized work plans, and designing tests in a scientific manner consistent with the needs of deaf students as identified in the results of their pedagogical evaluation.

Schools were supplied with educational tools and instruments, equipment, and furniture according to their needs, in addition to equipment and furniture for three workshops. Furthermore, the project covered the salaries of three teachers and a speech therapist for two years. The project also provided 288 hearing aid devices for deaf students, for hearing-impaired students who are integrated in the public schooling system, and for older people classified as social hardship cases.

The project offered several vocational courses and training for deaf students, resulting in five female students being awarded a diploma in childcare, while eight male students received training in metalwork. The project also offered courses in candle-making, drawing, pottery, and ceramics. Another group of deaf female students completed a vocational training course in hairdressing provided by In'ash Al Usra Society.

As part of efforts to encourage the role of deaf students in promoting Palestinian popular art and heritage, a dabkeh and folklore dance group of deaf students was established at each of the three schools of PRCS in Nablus, Bani Naim, and Al Bireh. The project provided all the needs of the three groups: instruments and traditional costumes for both male and female group members.

Parents of deaf students received specialized training courses in sign language and educational methods for the deaf. The aim of these courses was to develop the skills of parents in communication and enable them to monitor the academic progress of their children. Three integrated summer camps were organized as well as several integrated extracurricular activities.

The main aim of the project was to guarantee that deaf children receive advanced and comprehensive educational services consistent with their special needs. It focused on enhancing and developing the educational environment of these children, along with improving the professional skills of the teaching staff at the targeted schools and centers with the ultimate goal of enabling deaf students to complete their academic education and be integrated into society and the local labor market. This is particularly important in light of the harsh existing economic climate.