Inmates manufacture educational materials for students with special needs

Esra Ülkar – ANKARA

Students with special educational needs throughout Turkey have received educational materials manufactured by prisoners as part of a project realized by the Education Ministry.

“Educational materials are an absolute must for children with special needs. But the production of these indispensable materials is scarce in our country. The imported ones are dangerous to health, insufficient and costly,” Ahmet Emre Bilgili, the general director of the Education Ministry’s Special Education Service, told daily Hürriyet.

The project “Special Materials for Special Children” was launched in accordance with these needs, the director stressed.

“Firstly, the most needed materials were determined and the prototypes of the products were made. Subsequently, a deal was made with three production places which were suitable in terms of ateliers, human capital and low costs,” Bilgili said.

An open penitentiary in the Black Sea province of Bolu was one of the three places where these materials were produced, Bilgili said. Convicts in the prison manufactured some 100 different educational materials that were distributed to all over Turkey.

“As you see, both the materials and the target audience along with the manufacturers are special. The materials are unique in every aspect. The designs of the materials belong to our General Directorate,” Bilgili said.

The materials are strong, durable, ergonomic and suitable for use in classes, he stressed.

“The aim is to improve the basic life skills of students with special needs and to provide them with academic and professional skills in an attempt to prepare them for business life or a higher education institution,” Bilgili said.