Equal opportunities in education
HER eyes grew bright and she sat up straight when asked if equal opportunities are available for children with special needs in Malaysia.
“My answer to that is yes,” she says. “I believe that we are on our way there, but I would like to follow that up with an important question – do you think that special needs kids receive equal results?”
These are the words of Jacqueline Vincent, special education teacher and co-founder of BridginGaps, an organisation that trains teachers and parents in special educational needs skills.
“In terms of education, we want equal opportunity, but what we really need to look at are the outcomes (for children with special educational needs),” explains Jacqueline.
Do Malaysians know what is happening in our schools and the lives of children who learn differently?
What is being made available for students with special needs, and what are the issues faced in providing all children with access to equal opportunity in education?
We need to recognise that in our society, every member – young or old, neurotypical or not – plays a role that affects the masses. If we want a bright future, solid economy and everyone to contribute to a functional society, we must realise the potential of every individual. This starts with education.
“More people are aware and educated about special needs these days.
“When more people are aware, more initiatives blossom, people start working together and more schools begin to accommodate the special educational needs of some children,” shares Jacqueline.
Opening our eyes
Chu Shi Wei, assistant professor of special and inclusive education and programme coordinator of MA (Special and Inclusive Education) at University of Nottingham Malaysia, explains that the term “special needs” refers to the atypical needs or disabilities that can influence an individual’s ability to learn.
She shares that having special educational needs can affect areas such as behaviour, reading and writing, comprehension, concentration, and physical and social ability.
“In recent years, much attention and focus are being placed on special needs education in Malaysia. Improved access to quality education was detailed in the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008.
“The act represented a paradigm shift from a welfare model to a human rights model, which propagates full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in society. It recognises that they are not to be excluded from the general education system,” says Chu.
She points out that there have been other developments in local special education provision.
For example, the Education (Special Education) Regulations 2013 was implemented and special education was given due prominence in the Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013-2025). In the blueprint, a commitment to inclusive education was emphasised.
In Malaysia, there exists a continuum of placement options and services for individuals with disabilities. There are four distinct types of education currently available for children with special educational needs as listed below.
l Full-inclusion system –
All children are placed in a general classroom. Children with special educational needs are supported with existing school resources and a special education teacher or shadow-aide.
l Partial-inclusion system – All students are placed in a general classroom but children with special educational needs are removed from that environment for one-onone instruction, which is carried out by a special education teacher or specialist. The children in this system join other children in the class for certain activities.
l Special Education Integrated Programme – A special needs education class is attached to a mainstream school. Children with special educational needs have access to social activities with children in the mainstream education system.
l Special needs education school or residential school/ centre – Children placed in these schools are completely separated and do not usually interact with children from mainstream schools.
Not child’s play
Although there have been many improvements in accessibility of education for children with special needs in Malaysia, there are still issues that surface in practice.
As the Government aims to establish a more inclusive education system – a hot topic in the education sphere – complications are arising during application.
Chu says, “There may be constraints faced by schools in providing education for all, especially for children with more severe disabilities. Communitybased rehabilitation centres and non-governmental organisations are alternatives for these children.
“Inclusive education is becoming more common. However, we must prepare the school system in terms of teachers’ skills and knowledge, school culture, and policies and practices to create a truly inclusive environment for all students.
“Examination-based school systems that reward schools based on their excellence in examinations place low emphasis on testing accommodations and alternative assessment structures for students with special educational needs.”
She feels the current setup of having separate preparation programmes for special education and mainstream education does little to encourage inclusivity.
Working together for the children
Malaysia has a goal to reach in inclusive education as outlined in the Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013-2025) but it is important to note that inclusivity is more than just children with different abilities learning together in the same physical setting. Inclusivity has evolved into a
significant philosophy – one of acceptance – where diversity is welcome, valued and respected, so what are the actions that should be undertaken to equip children with the learning opportunities needed to achieve equal outcomes?
Policies on inclusive education for all schools in Malaysia will be important to support the implementation of inclusion from an administrative perspective.
Chu adds that support for inclusion such as funding, facilities, teaching materials, assistant teachers for children with special educational needs, curricula based on Universal Design for
Learning, implementation of Response to Intervention, and a continuum of support services for behavioural and academic needs are essential to allow all students access to equal opportunity.
On top of this, training that provides teachers with the knowledge and skills to manage the pedagogical challenges encountered in inclusive education is fundamental.
“The collaboration involving special education teachers, mainstream teachers and other stakeholders is one of the main factors for successful implementation of inclusive education,” says Chu.
Even though we have come a long way, stigma remains a major issue for the special needs community.
Jacqueline shares, “I think inclusive education is extremely important to eliminate stigma against students with special needs.
There are differences even among neurotypical children, so why must we have a separate system for children with special needs?”
Perhaps by creating awareness of different types of special needs and encouraging positive attitudes among the community, a great wave of change can wash over the education industry. The state of equal opportunity in education for all children in Malaysia is far from perfect, but we can remain positive.
“When all children have equal opportunity, we can discover the potential and develop the skills of each child. We should focus on their abilities, not disabilities,” says Chu.
Jacqueline is happy to share one of her favourite quotes – “I am different, not less.” The quote is by Temple Grandin – an individual with autism who is a respected professor of animal science. It serves to remind us to not look down on or neglect anyone just because they are different.
“We are all different. If we have the resources to provide help to those with special educational needs, then why are we not doing it? Nothing is impossible,” says Jacqueline.
Inclusive education is becoming more common. However, we must prepare the school system in terms of teachers’ skills and knowledge, school culture, and policies and practices to create a truly inclusive environment for all students. Chu Shi Wei