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Child & Special Needs

Directorate of Schools Reviews (DSR): Inspect students' safety and security measures according to the 'Child Protection Protocol' 

The review team will gather information about the school from different sources and may receive information or claims that could relate to harassment or threatening practices that compromise the safety and security of the students. Should the review team hear such claims from the PQs, the  interview with parents or the students, the issue will be taken confidentially and very seriously with the following procedures taken:

• Ensuring that the school has taken the appropriate measures regarding this issue

• The relevant authority will be notified.

The schools review Directorates are not responsible for dealing with these cases, but will highlight them and check whether the school is taking effective measures and that the relevant authority is notified.

 

Directorate of Vocational Reviews (DVR)

The Directorate of Vocational Reviews (DVR) measures the effectiveness of policies and arrangements made by education and training institutions with respect to learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities. In each audit, the Directorate reviews the numbers of learners and the number of female and male learners to develop women's periodic reports to the Supreme Council for Women. During reviews, one of the most crucial information collected by the Directorate is learners' age group. Because of the variety of education and training institutions in terms of the quality of training courses and programmes on offer, different learners' age groups are enrolled such courses. While 5-17 years old learners are enrolled in some institutions, the 18-60 years old and above are enrolled in other institutions that offer Diploma, bachelor, master, professional and specialised degree courses and programmes to various job levels, including senior leaders, along with other courses and programmes to employers and retirees, all of which allow for gender registration and enrolment regardless of income level and being supported by the employer or the Labour Fund (Tamkeen).

 

Directorate of Higher Education Reviews (DHR):

The BQA, through the Directorate of Higher Education Reviews (DHR), carries out two types of reviews that are complementary. These are the Institutional Reviews, where the whole Institution is assessed in terms of the effectiveness of quality assurance procedures therein, and the Academic Programme Reviews (APRs), where the quality of teaching, learning and academic standards are assessed in academic programmes within various Colleges according to specific Standards and Indicators.

DHR reviews are carried out by independent external review panels composed of a number of academic programme experts. These review panels examine documents submitted by the higher education institution/academic programme to be reviewed, including the self-evaluation report submitted by the institution/academic programme, all evidence and supporting documents. They also hold formal meetings with officials of the institution/academic programme and examine the institution's facilities and resources to ensure they are suitable for learners with special needs/difficulties.

At the end of the reviews, they are drafting a review report on the extent to which the institution/academic programme meets quality assurance requirements according to a number of standards, indicators and related procedures of the Education and Training Quality Authority, which are developed in line with international good practices. Review standards and indicators for Institutional Reviews and Academic Programme Reviews (APRs) also include appropriate policies and procedures to support learners with special needs, support them academically and provide them with appropriate services.

 

National Qualifications Framework (NQF):

The National Qualifications Framework (NQF has been designed to ensure equal learning opportunities for all learners and promote the concept of lifelong learning, as outlined in the NQF policies (Policy 5: Enabling Learners with Special Needs) and (Policy 6: Promoting Lifelong Learning).

Policy 5 -Enabling Learners with Special Needs- aims to provide equal and suitable opportunities for the integration and access of learners with special needs within the education and training programmes, and recognition of their achievements. It also encourages institutions to develop, and place on the NQF, qualifications specifically designed for learners with special needs.

Policy 6 -Promoting Lifelong Learning- aims to promote the concept of Lifelong Learning within the Qualifications System of the Kingdom of Bahrain, by enhancing progression pathways between education and training sectors and encouraging teaching and learning among all community groups, regardless of gender, age group, social standards, etc.

Therefore, the Institutional Listing Standards and Qualification Placement Standards ensure the provision of special arrangements for learners with special needs.

 

Directorate of National Examinations (DVR):

​The DNE Regulations Document is drafted based on a set of principles and policies for the construction and implementation of the National Examinations to ensure that the evaluation process covers all levels, including students with special needs in order to achieve the most important strategic objectives by:

 

  • -Developing detailed plans for the construction of the National Examinations and using modern evaluation methods to measure the skills, knowledge and awareness of students, while adhering to best practices in National Examinations to ensure quality and sustainability of evaluation.
  • - Preparation of National Examination papers and credible mark scheme to ensure that the examination is not affected by unrelated factors.

    In fulfilment of the principle of equal opportunities, the DNE:
  • - Prepares national examination items (questions) and credible mark scheme that take into account all students, regardless of their background, or without compromising their feelings.
  • - Evaluates students according to their knowledge, skills and competence not on the basis of what they can achieve in different circumstances.
  • - Evaluates all students according to standard mark scheme.
  • - Makes special arrangements through which students with special needs are permitted to take the examination to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in the most appropriate circumstances without any modification of the competencies to be measured, and without change in the evaluation requirements. Such special arrangements include: students may be allowed additional time, issuing a modified version of the examination papers, providing copies of students transcript in Braille or in large font, or in a magnified paper or other colour paper, and providing assistance in reading and writing.
  • - These special arrangements do not give the student an advantage over other students, do not conflict with the integrity of the evaluation, and may be limited to a specific examination paper.

 

Services for Women:

Since 2015, the Education and Training Quality Authority has provided numerous programmes, projects and initiatives in support of women, including the Strategic Plan initiatives for the implementation of the National Plan of the Supreme Council for Women.

  • - Design and implementation of a mechanism to detect outstanding competencies and provide them with professional development programmes.
  • - Supporting services and initiatives to achieve family and occupational balance.
  • - Integrating women's needs and achieving gender balance.
  • - Protection of women in the working environment (health, legal, social).
  • - National Initiative for Gender Balance in Future Sciences (as implementing partner) in collaboration with the Supreme Council for Women.
  • - National System to Support the Balance of Working Women's Participation between the Public and Private Sectors in cooperation with the Higher Council for Women and the Ministry of Labour and Social Development.
  • - Responsive budgets to women's needs in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and National Economy.
  • - Women's National Experts Network in cooperation with the Supreme Council for Women.
  • - National Gender Balance Report in collaboration with the Supreme Council for Women. 
  • - Sustainability of mechanisms for the implementation of the National Model for the Integration of Women's Needs in cooperation with the Supreme Council for Women.

 

The Education and Training Quality Authority has also been received the following awards:

  • - BQA' wins fifth place in the 5th Edition of HRH Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Award for Bahraini Women Advancement (Public Sector 2018)
  • - BQA is one of the five best institutions to reduce the gender gap in the first National Gender Balance Report in the Public Sector (Bahrain Indicator), issued by the Supreme Council for Women and endorsed by the Council of Ministers in 2019.
  • - ​BQA' wins first place in the 6th Edition of HRH Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Award for Bahraini Women Advancement (Public Sector 2020).