Bunayat Centre for Special Education celebrates 50th anniversary

AMMAN — The Bunayat Centre for Special Education (BCSE) celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding last week at a ceremony held under the patronage of Their Royal Highnesses Prince El Hassan bin Talal and Princess Sarvath El Hassan.

At the anniversary ceremony, students performed a song, “This Is Me”, for the audience and showcased an exhibit of their handiwork. Princess Sarvath then paid tribute to past and present trustees as well as the many friends and supporters of the BCSE over the years, according to a statement for Prince Hassan’s office.

The centre opened in 1974 and moved in 1981 to its current, purpose-built facility in Al Bunayat, in Amman’s south. His Majesty the late King Hussein bin Talal inaugurated the centre that same year to coincide with the UN International Year of Disabled Persons.

The centre is a non-profit NGO under the umbrella of the Young Muslim Women’s Association (YMWA), with the majority of its students coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

Today, the centre has 55 “skilled” teachers, and 194 students enrolled in its kindergarten, school, vocational, and autism departments.

The centre has a 1:8 teacher-student ratio, and in many cases provides one-on-one teaching as needed. 

The BCSE has graduated some 1,360 pupils since its opening, and is regarded as a pioneer in special education in Jordan and across the Middle East, sharing its expertise with counterparts in the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain.