‘Onus on all to care for kids with special needs’
SIBU: The responsibility to help children with special needs to be more independent rests on everyone’s shoulders, according to Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King.
“The doctors and teachers in Sibu have often reminded me that there are many children with special needs at every school here,” he said.
“Let’s not forget that these children are given by God who wants everyone to take care of them.”
Tiong was speaking last Sunday when officiating at the closing of the 4th Special Education Network in Malaysia (Senim) conference at Woodlands International School here.
The two- day conference gathered about 400 participants from across Asia.
Tiong noted that issues related to welfare, education and health of children with special needs are something important to the Sibu people.
In 2006, he said, the Agape Centre was established as a onestop community- based centre for many organisations to work together for children with special needs.
“Today, more than 5,000 have benefitted from its services and every week, hundreds of children are attending the various programmes at the centre.
“We have only one aim – to help children with special needs and their families. Early intervention and vocational training are provided,” he said.
On the conference, he said the objective was for the participants to learn about inclusive education whereby children with special needs learn alongside their peers in mainstream classes.
Also present were the conference organising chairman Aubrey Groves and Senim chairperson Kathryn Balsamo.