‘Pandemic: A Perspective on Special Education’

During the past year, the LUMS Syed Ahsan Ali and Syed Maratib Ali School of Education, through its ‘Partnerships Program’ held several online conversations with partner schools to discuss COVID related challenges. These deliberations were geared towards understanding educational disruptions and learning losses as a result of school closures.
The webinar on February 11th, moderated by Director Partnerships Mehreen Noon, titled ‘Pandemic: A Perspective on Special Education’ continued with the same theme for special needs students.

The distinguished panelists invited to share their unique experiences included Richard Geary, Founder and Director of Family Educational Services Foundation (FESF), Samrina Anwar, Head of Oasis School for Autism, Nabila Chaudhry, CEO Rising Sun Institute & Dr. Rabea Malik, CEO and Research Fellow at IDEAS with a special research interest in inclusive education. The panelists shared their experiences and successes in the ‘special abilities’ they work with and how the schools transitioned to online learning during the pandemic. Richard Geary spoke about the lack of proper schools for deaf students and the need to create online resources for teaching and learning Pakistani Sign Language (PSL). To facilitate the students during the pandemic, Deaf Reach created online courses for students and distributed laptops for access to digital platforms. Samrina Anwar highlighted the need for awareness and understanding for autism. She explained the Autart project by Oasis students which showcased each child’s distinct ability to interpret their surroundings and explain it through the medium of art. Nabila Chaudhry spoke about individualized plans for students and the importance of preparation and acceptance for parents with specially abled children. Dr. Rabea Malik spoke about her research paper which mentions the need for credible data on specially abled children in Pakistan. The underreporting of students with special needs negatively impacts the sustainable development goals of the country and hinders any effective initiative the government may take. She emphasized the need to incorporate international guidelines on inclusion and suggested that the public sector utilize some of the strategies and tools being developed by non-government organizations. The session concluded with Dr. Faisal Bari, Interim Dean for the School of Education, stressing the need for creating awareness and dialogue around inclusion and special education in Pakistan.