KUCHING: The Women, Early Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development Ministry is targeting all nurseries and kindergartens under SeDidik to have an open door policy for children with special needs by 2030.
Its Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah pointed out that such a policy is needed to aid all the children to have access to early childhood education.
“With the availability of this policy, we will be able to mix up the children with special needs with the other children, and this will help them (children with special needs) to learn faster compared to dumping them in a special needs class.
“Moreover, this policy also brings good opportunities for the children to learn together, hence, it is a win-win situation,” the minister said.
She said this during the press conference after visiting Taska SeDidik Semariang here yesterday.
Fatimah explained that previously, SeDidik did not take in children with special needs because there were no trained educators for them in the centre.
“Now, with the policy of inclusivity implemented with the stipulation that Early Childhood Education Institutions (IPAKK), SeDidik accepts the admission of children with special needs,” she said.
She disclosed that the educators and caretakers in SeDidik were provided various programmes and courses in light of the difficulties faced by them when her ministry introduced the said policy.
“Teachers in SeDidik had attended a workshop about children with special needs where they learned how to deal with autistic children, with the special needs, and how to see their needs because all children have different needs.
“That’s why here, we have quality educators who have knowledge, patience and love for these children.
“Furthermore, with the children learning together daily, they will also unconsciously learn that there are children that are different from them and they will learn to accept them,” she said.
