MoE has taken pro-active measures to tackle the overflow of disabled students in schools

KUALA LUMPUR - The Education Ministry (MoE) has taken several steps to deal with the overflow of students with disabilities (OKU) in schools including using special rooms as teaching and learning (PdP) classrooms

Its Deputy Minister Lim Hui Ying said the government practiced a Zero Reject Policy which placed students with special educational needs (SEN) in government schools and government aided schools without denying their rights to receive education in schools under the Education Ministry.

"The Education Ministry has taken several steps to deal with the increase of SEN students every year, including increasing the number of school offering Integrated Special Education Programme (PPKI).

"The number of PPKI schools was 2,343 in 2018 and has increased to 2,632 in 2022.

"Students in the special needs category are currently more than what we have the capacity for in Special Education School's (SPK) but we have taken pro-active measures by providing special rooms as Pdp classrooms. The number of SEN students in SPK in 2018 was 2,530 and had increased to 2,710 in 2022," she said.

She said this in response to a question from Mohd Hasnizan Harun (PN - Hulu Selangor) who asked about MoE's action to deal with the issue of the increased numbers of disabled students in schools.

Hui Ying added that the ministry also channeled allocations for the provision of disabled-friendly facilities and other maintenance in the Integrated Special Education Programme.

She said, in 2018, the allocation received for special education amounted to RM2.3 million.

"The allocation has increased to RM34.07 million in 2019, RM39.61 million (2020), RM33.5 million (2021) and as much as RM28.2 million in 2022.

"The allocation has been channeled to ensure facilities can be maintained and further utilised by SEN students properly," she said.