Zero Reject Policy must include every special needs child — NECIC
KUALA LUMPUR: The National Early Childhood Intervention Council (NECIC) yesterday advocated every child with special needs be included in the government's Zero Reject Policy which came into effect this year.
Under the policy, state education departments and district education offices have to approve the application of all special needs students and ensure that schools are able to cater to their needs.
In a statement yesterday, NECIC pointed out that the focus however appears to be children with physical disabilities and in the Special Education Integrated Programme (PPKI).
“Children with special needs still have to meet certain uneasy criteria set by the Ministry of Education's (MOE) Checklist for Inclusion Readiness (SSKI) before they can be considered for the programme. This is contrary to the principle and philosophy of inclusive education,” NECIC said.
NECIC -- a registered coalition of parents, therapists and professionals – proposed three initiatives to help children with special needs enjoy equal opportunities in education.
The first initiative is for schools to consider the diverse needs of students and make adjustments to enable full and meaningful participation in school.
“Accessible facilities, providing a flexible curriculum, multiple assessment methods and school wide positive behaviour support are best practices that all mainstream schools should adopt in implementing inclusive education,” the statement said.
NECIC also proposed the Individual Education Plan (IEP) be implemented effectively.
It said the IEP is important for all children with special needs, including those included in mainstream classes, as their needs are always unmet.
“It is encouraging that MOE's Inclusive Education Guidelines state that the IEP should involve shared planning with parents and a multidisciplinary team (eg. therapists and doctors).
“Unfortunately, it is not widely practiced. The IEP should be routinely shared and discussed with parents and therapists who can provide crucial input to support children's learning,” the statement added.
NECIC also suggested MOE use PPKI teachers in mainstream classes as some 15 per cent of children in mainstream classes have some form of special needs (eg. autism, dyslexia, ADHD, visual/hearing impairments and physical disabilities), and currently their needs are not wellsupported.
“PPKI teachers are a vital source of support and should be deployed to support teachers in differentiating and co-teaching lessons, adapting teaching materials and lesson instructions, and planning behavioural and social skills support strategies.
“While we wait for MOE to provide teachers with more training and knowledge, we hope the District Education Offices (PPD) and schools could be empowered to engage with the disability community to provide hands-on training for teachers. A supportive and inclusive attitude will enable children with special needs to participate in the mainstream schools fully,” the group said. - Bernama