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Special Education

Since its establishment in 1994, the Special Education Unit of the Ministry of Education has catered to pupils with learning problems or special education needs. One of the Unit’s initial tasks was to devise a course for teachers to become Learning Assistance Teachers (LAT) in government schools. Due to the lack of human resources in this area, LATs are only provided in certain schools at the lower primary level. Hence, there are still a number of schools, mostly small, without learning assistance teachers.

LATs are responsible for: screening; diagnosing; implementing special education plans; setting up a learning assistance centre; involving subject specialists in remedial programmes; drafting individual educational plans; and connecting with parents and outside agencies when necessary.

LATs are continually trained. The courses include special education, classroom management, children with special needs and refresher courses. A series of workshops are also conducted particularly for teachers participating in pilot projects.

Among the strategies adopted to handle pupils with learning problems, there is a pilot project that moves away from the traditional approach to a more concrete, hands-on approach with an emphasis on practical application of skills. This is targeted at pupils who are non-academically inclined, overaged for the grade (repeaters), having experienced failure, with low motivation in the regular school programmes, low self-esteem and a language deficiency in Malay and English.

There are eighty-nine learning assistance centres in primary schools, and nine in secondary schools are presently in the process of implementation. Concerning the latter, the LATs task is, among others, to screen all Form I students by administering tests in basic skills (Malay, English and mathematics).

In order to ensure smooth entry of children with severe impairments into the school system, the Special Education Unit also participates in the Multi-Disciplinary Committee at Raja Isteri Pengiran Anal Saleha Hospital.

 
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