Fatimah highlights importance of having more integrated classrooms for children with special needs

SIBU (July 28): The Sarawak government hopes to see more schools having integrated classrooms, aimed at enabling children with special needs to learn alongside their peers.

In highlighting this, Minister for Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Sarawak Dato Sri Abdullah Fatimah said this was one of reasons why the One-Stop Early Intervention Centre (OSEIC) was established.

“The objective of OSEIC is to provide facilities and services, especially the early diagnosis, to autistic children.

“At the end of the day, when these children reach age seven, they are able to have former education at primary level, secondary level and so on.

“We hope that more schools would have integrated classrooms, but as of now, we start with the state-owned kindergarten because we do not have control over the federal side.

“What we hope is even though there is no ruling at the federal level to have that open-door policy; in terms of policy, they have special kindergartens for these children, but what we want at our own level is integration, not segregation,” she told reporters when met after the opening the ‘National Autism Conference’ at RH Hotel here yesterday.

According to the minister, there are a total of 164 children having graduated from OSEIC since 2022, some having gone to mainstream schools and some entering special education.

“Upon them leaving the OSEIC, we want to make sure that they are able to enter school because education is the right of every child, and we are happy to see that they are able to go to school,” she said.

However, Fatimah said OSEIC did not give ‘false hope’ to parents, especially those with children having severe autism.

“My grandson, who has autism, has difficulties in communication.

“If you ask the question ‘how are you’, he would just say ‘how are you’.

“He is repeating (the words), but not comprehending what you are asking, and not able to socially interact with you,” she said.

Fatimah said that previously, due to the lack of opportunity to go for rehabilitation, many children had missed out on formal schooling.

“Because of the open-door policy, a child cannot be denied just because they are disabled.

“Now, we start to get children who are disabled, being integrated with other normal children.

“We all know that the disabled children would learn better if they get to mix with normal children, and the normal children would benefit as well because they can learn how to help – it is good for both of them.”

Fatimah added that after Kuching and Miri, more OSEICs would be established in the state.

“I believe that OSEIC Miri is able to accommodate those in Subis, Bekenu, Baram, and Marudi.

“We are also reaching out to the rural areas, starting with the OSEIC in Dalat.”

Fatimah revealed that as at June 30 this year, a total of 548 children had enrolled in OSEIC Sarawak, with 500 in OSEIC Kuching and 48 in OSEIC Dalat.

The National Autism Conference was organised by Sibu Autistic Association (SAA) and supported by Business Events Sarawak (BES).

Present at the event were SAA president David Ngu and BES chief executive officer Amelia Roziman.