“No to Bullying” Campaign launched at schools marking International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Damascus, (ST) – On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Syrian Special Olympics Foundation in cooperation with the Ministries of Education and Justice launched on Wednesday the “No to Bullying” national campaign which will continue until the 31st of this month.

The campaign, which targets persons with disabilities at inclusive schools, includes carrying out inclusive sports activities as well as educational sessions held by a number of  judges for students to address the needs of persons with disabilities and enhance the students’ awareness about bullying phenomenon.

Minister of Education, Dr. Darem Tabaa affirmed the importance of cooperation with the Olympiad Foundation to perpetuate the inclusion of persons with disabilities in schools, which distinguishes the Syrian educational system, and to prove the ability of Syrian schools to include integration within their projects and develop these abilities to serve all persons with disabilities. He indicated that the Foundation is concerned with developing the competencies of workers in the field of integration.

Minister Tabbaa said that the campaign is based on the implementation of two important activities, the first is directly related to persons with disabilities, and the other is related to other children present in the school. The aim is to know to what extent the students interact with the persons with disabilities, especially to reduce cases of bullying towards them. He indicated that the ministry has a several-year old experience in this field that involves 200-300 schools in Syria.

For his part, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Olympiad Foundation Tarif Qutrash pointed out that 22 persons with disabilities from Nabil Ghassan Negro Primary School participated in this campaign, with the aim of activating their integration with their peers through integration activities in schools.

The National Director of the Syrian Special Olympiad Foundation Talal Barniah. for his part, stressed the importance of examining the mental situation of persons with special needs and address the difficulties they suffer from during their integration into schools. He indicated that the Foundation will hold a workshop in cooperation with the Ministries of Education and Justice to work on renewing some laws and some curricula to suit the capabilities of the people with disabilities.

Raghda Sawas