It has been a year since the Bar Council submitted a memorandum to the government seeking amendments to the relevant legislations to improve the education system for those suffering from physical and mental impairment, but the matter has yet to be fully addressed by the government.

While the Education Ministry had accepted some of the recommendations made in the memorandum, the council vice-chairperson Kuthubul Zaman Bukhari said it has yet to address the formulation of education regulations.

Among the amendments sought are Article 12 of the Federal Constitution to include the definition of individuals with special needs and to ensure that they are not discriminated against, and that each state government is obliged to provide adequate education budget for them.

The professional body which represents 10,000 lawyers has proposed that 'individuals with special needs' be referred to those 'accessed and identified by medical standards as having a physical, mental and other impairment which has a substantial and/or long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities'.

Kuthubul said that the government has also failed to address the issues on implementation of Individualised Education Plan, greater funding of expenses for schools run by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and provisions of allowance for parents of special children who can only work part-time.

He urged the government to expedite the formulation of the education regulations before end of this year and it would help the country to achieve the goals of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons 1993-2002.

10,000 signatures received

"Since the memorandum was submitted to the government in July 2001, the council has received 10,000 signatures from NGOs and concerned individuals expressing their support for it," he said.

The support reflects the pressing need for legislation to improve the existing education system for training and educating individuals with special needs, said Kuthubul during a ceremony where 13 NGOs submitted the signatures.

He also told reporters that the NGOs have agreed to cooperate with the council to form a working committee to formulate an action plan on ways to get the government to expedite the amendments sought by them.

"We really need to improve our legislations as we are far more backwards in providing adequate education for special people as compared to many countries including China," he said.

Among the representatives of NGOs present today were those from Malaysian Care, Kiwanis Down Syndrome, Kajang Special Children Association, Wings Melaka and Early Intervention Society.