S’wak to establish special primary school

KUCHING: The Sarawak government is planning to establish a special primary school for children with special needs so that they can obtain the right education.

Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said children with special needs required a psychological technique to be calmed down, and with the establishment of a special school they would be given special attention from teachers who were specialising in psychology and health.

“Hence, it is important that we establish a primary school that specialises in education for children with special needs, and in this case we are using the one implemented in Australia as our model.

“To raise a child with special needs is not easy, as in Australia, children with special needs are given special education to identify their abilities. At the very least, once they enrol in secondary school, their performance will be improved by 60 per cent,” he told reporters after launching the Datuk Amar Hajah Juma’ani Welfare Centre here yesterday.

Abang Johari said, to realise this plan, the government, through the Sarawak Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development had set up a unit to study the matter.

“The study has just started and the decision of the construction of a special primary school will be announced within the next six months. I have also identified the ideal location for the school that will be accessible to residents around Kuching.

“If the first project is successful, the next special primary schools will be established in major cities such as Miri and Sibu,” he said.

The Datuk Amar Hajah Juma’ani Welfare Centre provides welfare support services as community-based rehabilitation centre (PDK) well as senior citizen activity centre (PAWE). - Bernama