Address needs of special needs children, ministry told

MIRI: The Education Ministry must have a comprehensive plan to address the need of special needs children at the primary school level.

Transport Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin said such commitment was needed as the education of special children was different from that of normal children.

“It is time for the ministry to have a round table discussion with parents of special children to identify their needs, issues and problems.

“We want to ensure special children are able to receive quality education like what is provided to normal children,” he told the press after officiating at a function in SK Lutong yesterday.

Earlier, Lee who is also Senadin assemblyman visited five special education classes with 50 special children.

During the visit, he urged the education ministry to train more teachers specialising in special education.

The school, he added, had complained of little space for the special education classes and also lack of teaching materials.

The school had also requested for big-screen television set so that the special children would be able to see clearly what was shown on the screen.

There was also a request to set up more special education classes at secondary schools in Senadin constituency.

Parents living in Kuala Baram, Lutong, Senadin and Permyjaya now have to travel far to send their special children to attend special education classes in the city centre.

There are nine schools in Miri which provide special education classes.

They are SK Lutong, SK Anchi, SK Jalan Bintang, SK Miri, SK South, SJK Chung Hua Lutong, SMK Luak, SMK St Joseph and SMK Dato Permaisuri.

The yet to be opened SMK Tudan will also provide special education programme for special needs children.

Later at the function, Lee resented Minor Rural Project (MRP) grant of RM5,000 to the SK Lutong’s Parent-Teacher Association. The headmaster Saufie Sa’ait and PTA chairman John Justin Hasnan Ajus were also present at the gathering.