HIGH ACHIEVERS: Wong (centre back row) flanked by Abdillah (right) and Hayward with students who are recipients of the Shell scholarship.
KUCHING: Local Government and Community Development Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh has called for the incorporation of disabled children into the mainstream of the education programme.
Acknowledging the lack of participation from special needs students in the mainstream educational activities and system here, Wong who is also Second Finance Minister highlighted the needs for these children to be given all available opportunities and possibilities to fully develop their potential for the good of the nation.
“Everyone is accounted for and no one should be left out. At the end of the day, the help from everyone all coming together to complement one another is very much needed to make this happen,” he said when officiating at the Shell Student Excellence Awards presentation ceremony at Pullman Hotel here yesterday.
Also present were Shell vice-president (Human Resource for South East Asia) Leslie Hayward and state Education Dept director Abdillah Adam.
In regards to Shell Malaysia extending its scholarship awards to disabled students since 2010, Wong felt that this was something the public must thank for considering that the company had taken the lead in providing for special needs children.
“I would like to appeal to all other corporate organisations to emulate what Shell Malaysia has done which is not only for students who have achieved scholastic standard but also to lend a helping hand to those with special needs.
“Shell has contributed significantly to the nation’s transformation programme in increasing productivity and human capital development,” he said.
In addition, Wong said that school environment ought to provide better facilities to develop students in all aspects. This was deemed very important for the overall improvement of the education standard in the country.
He also suggested the establishment of more single session schools with full facilities to cater for a wide range of students’ needs and interests.
He said having single session schools, with facilities for more liberal programmes with a whole schooling week of extra curriculum activities, would see more students take part in a wide range of programmes.
He also suggested that such schools should not only push for high level of academic achievements but also keep alive traditional values and traditions. Such schools must be able to produce morally upright, diligent and compassionate students.