Give greater focus on special needs education – Ras Adiba

OKU Sentral president Ras Adiba Radzi said greater focus must be given to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in schools to ensure its administration and local authorities have the resources they need to support children in need.

“Since the pandemic began, learners with disabilities are the most affected group, experiencing greater challenges in receiving quality education due to limited access and support.

“Therefore, teachers, school administrators and relevant stakeholders need to collaborate in accelerating the learning recovery to mitigate learning loss and special educational need reforms for the children,” she said.

Ras Adiba (above) said this when opening the Country Report Forum in conjunction with Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation Regional Centre for Special Education (SEAMEO SEN) 10th Governing Board Meeting with the theme, “Building Back Better” today.

Also present were SEAMEO Secretariat director Erthel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela and SEAMEO SEN Governing Board chairperson Salmah Jopri.

Commenting further, Ras Adiba, who is also Bernama chairperson said these children have been left without the additional support they merited, impacting not just their education but in many cases, their mental health.

She said their beleaguered families, meanwhile, were caught in a nightmare of “bureaucracy, buck-passing and confusion” in a system which “breeds conflict and despair”.

“I would like to take this opportunity, to urge governments to present Green Paper on SEND Reform Agenda and Green paper to consult on a stronger national system for children with special educational needs and disabilities to boost parents’ confidence.

“Among the things that should be touched upon are simplified education, health and care plan (EHCP) through digitising plans to make them more flexible.

“We must also reduce bureaucracy and support parents to make informed choices via a list of appropriate placements tailored to their child’s needs, meaning less time spent researching the right school etc,” she said.

Moreover, Ras Adiba also urged the government to build at least one Genius Kurnia Centres in each state.

“As for now we only have two Genius Kurnia Centres in Malaysia. Hopefully, the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, together with Education Ministry would make some aggressive efforts on SEND reform agenda,” she said.

- Bernama

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