Getting to know your International Contacts-Part 3

In the article,"Special-needs Children in the Bedouin Population of the Negev: Characteristics, Patterns of Service Use, and the Impact of Caring for the Children on the Mothers," it states "The percent of children with special needs who receive services from the system is lower in almost all areas except the medical: 10% receive paramedical services, 25% receive specialized educational services and 2% receive psycho-social services. This places a heavy burden on the mothers of these children. Mothers of 75% of the children report that they experience heavy to very heavy burden, as a result of caring for their disabled children. " As a mother to a child with special needs, I know that there are times that it can be difficult. I feel blessed because I have a strong support system and there are so many teachers and therapists working with my son. I cannot imagine, with all the difficulties and struggles that Bedouin women already endure without water or electricity, but then having a special needs to care with no support, it has has to be very difficult for them. This study was done based in part, "an effort to promote the services for Bedouin children in the Negev, based on the findings of the study." I have learned that there are many barriers facing early childhood education for Bedouin children living in the Negev.
In the article, "Bedouin Arab Education in the Negev," by Israel Abu Saab, he writes, “This problem has been especially controversial among the Bedouin Arabs of the Negev where the establishment of schools has become a part of the government plan for settling the Bedouin. There is a distinction made between schools described as temporary and permanent. Currently there are 12 temporary and 24 permanent Bedouin schools in the Negev. Any school which is located in an unplanned settlement is defined as temporary. Such schools are poorly equipped, have low budgets,inadequate facilities, poor buildings and furnishings, and few teaching
materials. They often suffer from a complete lack of facilities and materials such as libraries and maps, and audio visual, laboratory and sports equipment, etc. They are mostly housed in tin, wooden, or concrete buildings with insufficient classroom and office space. They are not supplied with running water and electricity, although some are found next to water pipes or electric lines. In general, these schools are not expanded and are poorly maintained.”


References:
http://www.snunit.k12.il/beduin/arti/2104e.html
http://brookdale.jdc.org.il/?CategoryID=192&ArticleID=31