NEWS

A Short Seminar, Part of the “Afghanistan Teacher Training Support – International Contribution through Education” Program

Following on from last year, a teacher training support seminar took place at Osaka Kyoiku University for the Kabul Education University of Rabbani, (formerly known as Kabul Education University) in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, with whom we have an academic exchange agreement. Like the previous seminar, the Special Needs Education Course and the International Center joined forces and coordinated the ten day seminar (4–14/2/2013) for Sayed Kalimulah Abed (expert in education for the visually impaired at the Special Education Faculty of the Kabul Education University of Rabbani) and Khaja Sardar Sediqi (expert in education for the hearing impaired at the same University). The two instructors, Mr. Kalimulah and Mr. Sardar, undertook studies in their respective fields of expertise through practical training, lectures at Osaka Kyoiku University, and observation at a school for the deaf in Osaka. Furthermore, having expressed a wish to teach at the Rabbani University Intellectual Disability Special Education Course, which was launched in April last year, they twice visited our affiliated School of Special Needs Education, proactively participated in seminars on teaching materials and aids for autistic children and children with intellectual disabilities, and took detailed notes. They also took part in a seminar on developmental disabilities on February 6 organized by our Office for Students with Disabilities, thus deepening their basic understanding of developmental disabilities. On February 13, the seminar ended with a wrap-up meeting and a debriefing session on the Action Plan to be implemented after the two instructors return to Afghanistan. They were then presented with certificates by University President Akio Nagao.
The main points in the Action Plan are as follows:
1. A debriefing session will be held in order to share information gathered at the seminar with other teaching staff.
2. Support will be given to teachers in the Intellectual Disability Special Education Course.
3. This special experience will be utilized to help develop special needs education in Afghanistan. Going forward, we are planning to take in JICA trainees to imbue the development of educational aid in developing countries with the special flavor of Osaka Kyoiku University.