Prince Hassan, Princess Sarvath visit special education centre

AMMAN — TRH Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath visited the Bunayat Centre for Special Education last Wednesday accompanied by several diplomats. The BCSE is a non-profit charitable organisation founded by Princess Sarvath in 1974 to cater to the education of children with special needs. Established under the umbrella of the Young Muslim Women’s Association, the Centre has become an institution that is recognised both nationally and regionally for its excellence.

The aim of the Centre is to provide an education for students with mild to moderate intellectual challenges. The Centre works on helping the students become inclusive members in society as well as supporting their families. The majority of students suffers from Down syndrome, but with the appropriate training, can be taught the life skills essential for independence and can occasionally find a job in the labour market. The Portage Programme at the Centre identifies and diagnoses newborn children with special needs, and the specialist counselors work with the parents until the children are of age to join the Kindergarten at the Centre. All students are taught the basics of literacy and mathematics, and their particular aptitude is assessed. They then enter the vocational section of the Centre, specialising in carpentry, cooking, ceramics, weaving or horticulture. Much of their handiwork is sold online and in various bazaars. 

The profits from the handiwork sales go back into supporting the Centre, which relies heavily on donations and fundraising events to fund its operational costs. All the students are transported from their homes to the Centre door-to-door by buses, which in addition to the driver, always have  a supervisor.  

Ahmad Khleif is a 37-year-old motivated young man, diagnosed with Down syndrome. Khleif joined the Centre relatively late, when he was 12 years old. Despite this delayed start, he was able to benefit from the education given at the Centre. 

Today, he is the assistant inventory manager at the Centre and has been an official employee for 10 years. Ahmed’s big smile filled the workplace with joy and pride as he welcomed The Jordan Times to a one-of-a-kind media briefing. 

“All the products you see here are handmade by my colleagues with the assistance of our teachers,” Khleif said during a tour of the Centre’s showroom. 

Baheyyeh Misk, the Programme Coordinator at BCSE told The Jordan Times: “The academic team at the Bunayat Centre evaluates the cognitive, social and academic skills, and formulates a personlised plan for each student. This plan is constantly referred to, amended if needed, and the student’s parents are regularly updated on their progress. She added that at the Centre, they strongly believe that individuals with intellectual challenges have the right to an education and to be integrated into society, leading dignified and productive lives.

The Centre was recently accredited by the Ministry of Education to accept and teach students diagnosed with Autism. The BCSE is always open to new ideas and specialisations to improve the quality of life of these very special young people who need a special style of education.