Introduction
In 2010, the government of the UAE launched a project under the title The UAE Vision 2021. It aims to improve different aspects of the state activity, including economy, healthcare, and education system. Among other things, the program is intended to create “an inclusive and cohesive society,” every member of which will be able to exercise equal rights (The Executive Council 2014, p. 11). The government decided to start implementing this objective by introducing inclusive education in Dubai. To enable the realization of this plan, it is necessary to make sure that it is supported by specific laws and policies and does not contradict international norms.
The introduction of inclusion in Dubai is based on Federal Law No. 29 of 2006. It is the first law ensuring and protecting the rights of the UAE citizens with disabilities. It guarantees equal access to healthcare and education services to all citizens, including the disabled (KHDA 2017). The passing of this law is a significant step on the road to inclusive society since it shows that the government is concerned with the problems faced by people with disabilities. Thus, this federal law laid the legal foundation for introducing inclusion to the UAE population.
Inclusive Society
The concept of inclusive society also refers to Dubai Law No. 2 of 2014. This law was passed after perusal of Federal Law No. 29 of 2006. It stipulates that people with disabilities should be provided with “accessible environments” to exercise their rights and be protected from “all forms of discrimination, abuse, neglect, and exploitation” (The Supreme Legislation Committee in the Emirate of Dubai 2014, p. 3).The significance of this law consists in the fact that it specifies provisions of the federal law for the Emirate of Dubai. Thus, it outlines the purpose of the government to start introducing inclusion from the largest city in the country.
Furthermore, inclusion is guaranteed by the Executive Council Resolution No.2 of 2017. This document is concerned particularly with education in various institutions in Dubai. It regulates private schools in Dubai to align their policies with the inclusive education strategies of the UAE (KHDA 2017).This resolution is significant because it obliges education providers to admit disabled students to their educational establishments regardless of their physical state. Thus, this document has a more narrow area of application than the Dubai Law, which means that the government has developed a more detailed strategy of introducing inclusion.
Making inclusion a national priority is aligned not only with state laws but also with an international one. It conforms to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) signed by the UAE in 2006 (KHDA 2017). The convention obliges governments to provide appropriate conditions for people with disabilities to be able to exercise the entire set of human rights with no limits. The fact that the UAE government decided to align its goals with international policies means that it intends to integrate into the world community. Thus, signing the UN Convention is not only a step toward inclusion but also a diplomatic move.
Conclusion
Dubai Inclusive Education Policy Framework refers to all the laws mentioned above. It defines the purpose, principles, and standards of the program intended to make education in Dubai fully inclusive. According to the policy, providing education for people of determination, which is how the UAE government decided to refer to citizens with disabilities, is a part of a more extended project. Since its main goal is inclusion and cohesiveness, the major principle of the policy is educating students with disabilities in a common environment. The document ensures that education providers will not prevent children with disabilities from enrolling in educational organizations due to health issues. Thus, the listed normative documents constitute the basis of inclusion in the UAE society.
Reference List
KHDA 2017, Dubai inclusive education policy framework. Web.
The Supreme Legislation Committee in the Emirate of Dubai 2014, Law no. (2) of 2014 concerning protection of the rights of persons with disabilities in the Emirate of Dubai. Web.