Education of More Than 500 Blind Students in Razavi Khorasan

Mashhad – The Director of Exceptional Education for Razavi Khorasan said that the province has more than 500 blind students, 460 of whom are studying at specialized schools for the blind in Mashhad.

Referring to the education status of visually impaired students, Reza Karimi said in a conversation with Mehr reporter: "We have more than 500 blind students in Razavi Khorasan province, of which 460 are studying in Mashhad and in specialized schools for the blind." There is also a school for the blind in Neishabur, and we have a total of 6 specialized schools for the blind in the province.

Khorasan Special Education Director Razavi added: The rest of the visually impaired students in other cities of the province, which have lower population statistics, are enrolled and studying in special schools with different disabilities (mental retardation, deaf and blind) in one center. But in Mashhad, due to the high statistics, schools are managed in a specialized manner. In addition, about 100 students with less severe disabilities are studying in normal schools under the title of "integrated students".

Full educational coverage of blind students without demarcation of marginalization

In response to the way education is covered in underprivileged areas and the outskirts of the city, he clarified: the term "underprivileged" has no meaning for us in this sector; Because our specialized schools cover the entire city of Mashhad, both central and peripheral areas; As an example, our primary school for blind girls accepts all female students of the city, regardless of the residential area, and all students are covered by education.

Karimi said about the level of education and qualification of teachers in this area: The teachers who teach in these schools are generally graduates of the field of exceptional children from Farhangian University or previous teacher training courses and have completed academic education in all exceptional groups. After entering the system, these forces are separated and go through specialized training workshops in the schools themselves. Also, specialized in-service courses such as "Braille learning" are held once or twice a year, and in addition, weekly workshops and experience management programs are held continuously at the school level.

The favorable condition of the equipment and the serious challenge of the lack of rehabilitation staff

Referring to the status of standardization and equipment of schools for the blind, Khorasan Razavi, director of exceptional education, said: The security of our schools is almost complete and meets the necessary standards. There is no acute shortage in the field of educational aids and equipment, and devices such as "Perkins" (braille typewriter), magnifying glasses, and special glasses are prepared and provided to students.

He stated that the basic problem of this field is the lack of manpower in the rehabilitation sector and added: Our main challenge is the issue of rehabilitation services and rehabilitation assistance, and we are facing a lack of manpower in this field; So that we are facing a shortage of optometrists in the whole of Mashhad, and it is not possible to permanently install them in all schools. However, we have tried to distribute these forces fairly so that students can benefit from the specialized services of these fields at least one to two days a week.

Skill training with the aim of relative independence of graduate students

Karimi said about the vocational and professional empowerment programs for blind students: the main mission of exceptional education is defined in the field of education, and the discussion of employment, job search and the major part of rehabilitation matters is within the scope of the duties of the welfare organization; But at the same time, with the implementation of projects such as "Iran Mahart", especially in boarding schools, and with the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding with the technical and professional organization, workshops are opened and trainers are sent to schools in order to provide talent and guidance based on the policy of "one skill for each student".

The Director of Special Education Khorasan Razavi continued: Our goal is that the visually impaired student, after finishing the twelfth grade and leaving school, will reach at least a relative independence of 30-40% in doing his personal work and even in the economic field and earning money.

Competing against the blind in the national entrance exam and shining in festivals

He explained about the mechanism of participation of blind students in the national exam: a separate exam is not held for these people and they compete with other candidates in the national exam; As a result, candidates with severe disabilities use notebooks with large print less, and for completely blind candidates, forces from education and training are introduced and quarantined to the assessment organization to convert the test booklets into Braille. Also, in the tests and final exams, a necessary secretary is assigned to these students.

Referring to the achievements of the visually impaired students of the province in the scientific, cultural and artistic fields, Karimi noted: the exceptional students of the province had significant achievements last year; For example, in the Khwarazmi festival, out of a total of 132 selected from different exceptional groups of the province, 60 students from the blind group made it to the national stage. Also, in Quranic fields and song contests, the students of the province have always taken the top ranks in the country for at least the last three years.