Academic Writing

Introduction

Special Education Program in Malaysia has been leading towards its purpose to
bring up the quality and equity of pupils with special needs (SEN) to another level. This is in
accordance to the Malaysian Blueprint 2013-2025 which stated that with the inclusive
education program, the increase enrolment of SEN pupils increases its management quality
as a whole. According to Norliah Mohd Amin and Mohd Hanafi (2016), this program enables
them to learn together with their typical friends in the same classroom with the normal setting
and facilities. Other than that, this inclusive education program gives equal opportunity which
is accessing to the same curriculum and promoting respect towards level of capability and
potential.

Issues and challenges in implementing Inclusive Education in Malaysia

A series of initiatives to support and facilitate the SEN pupils is to ensure full and
equal participation in education. Starting with the first wave from year 2013 to 2015, the
existing programme is strengthened with the implementation of the guideline for the inclusive
education program. As the result, the Ministry is able to instil awareness through a campaign
among school community and local community about special education needs pupils and
their rights to excel in their learning and lives after school. In these 2 years, about 8,190
teachers have completed their basic training on inclusive education (Salmah Jopri,
2016).Similarly, disabled-friendly facilities such as ramps, railings, handicap toilets and lifts
are also provided to ensure that the pupils can learn in good environment as they learn
together with other typical pupils.

Implementation of Inclusive Education in Wave 2 with the aim of scaling up the

initiatives might as well affects the aim of evaluating and consolidating the initiatives in Wave
3 due to the constraints or challenges that have been identified from an issue. This issue is
about the minority enrolment of pupils with special needs in inclusive education that declines
their level of access, equity and quality of education performance. This has been affected by
factors from pupils, community and teacher. The critical success factors for support services
which are equipment, infrastructure, society and personnel affect the implementation of
inclusive education.

Although 2,5396 SEN pupils were being educated in inclusive mainstream

classrooms, more than half of them were only partially included approximately 1,3081 (Quick
Facts 2017 Malaysia Education Statistics, p23). This explains that the practice of inclusive
education is not in its truest sense. Most principals do not support this programme thinking
that it would burden the teachers teaching in the mainstream classes. This negative
perspective is influenced by lack of awareness and understanding about the guideline of
implementing inclusive education. On top of that, teachers who are not readily trained for this
programme find it difficult to align teaching and learning (T & L) activities to suit to both
typical and SEN pupils. They also think that it requires much effort and time to teach SEN
pupils to keep up with the typical pupils so they worry about momentum of T & L lessons.
Besides, some of these inclusive programmes only available for non-academic subjects like
art, music and sports which mean that inclusive education cannot be implemented
successfully.

Apart from that, parents and society do not have a thorough understanding besides
having lack of trust towards teachers of the mainstream classes although they have been
successfully trained for the purpose of inclusive education. Besides worrying about typical
pupils bullying SEN pupils in classroom, they often question the inadequate and
inappropriate facilities that can help fulfil the pupils’ needs. Therefore, support services in the
aspect of infrastructure and facilities would enhance the implementation of this programme.
For example, a Braille writing machine and low vision magnifiers would benefit pupils with
visual impairment. Secondly, parents and members of the society give endless support and
accept the idea of the inclusive education programme with open arms without any prejudice
would enable SEN pupils to benefit any academic opportunity likewise the typical pupils.
Integrating support personnel enable teachers to help SEN pupils to identify and groom their
strengths, abilities and gifts to form a basis for future success in personal and academic
pursuits.

In conclusion, a supportive and inclusive attitude of parents, teachers and society will
enable SEN pupils to participate in the mainstream schools fully.

(668 words)
References

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