THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES – FOCUSING ON PRIMARY EDUCATION 62 WELCOMING REMARKS, BY DATUK DR. KHAW LAKE TEE, VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION 4. Datuk Khaw welcomed and thanked everyone who attended this Forum. 5. The following points were stressed in her opening remarks:a. As a State Party to the Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC) and as mentioned in Article 23 of CRC, it is important to provide necessary assistance to all children including for those who suffered from learning disabilities in order for them to have access to and receive education as well as to achieve the fullest possible social integration and individual developments. b. The importance of education for children with learning disabilities is also highlighted in the Convention on the Right to Person with Disabilities (CRPD); particularly in Article 24 of CRPD which upholds the principle of non-discrimination in access to education. Therefore, it is the duty of the State to ensure that the children with learning disabilities are not being discriminated and have equal access to an inclusive, free and an inclusive, free and compulsory education. c. The Vice Chair praised the Government’s efforts to comply with its international obligations in providing education for children with learning disabilities. This is manifested through the many programmes designed and set up for children with learning disabilities including the establishment of Special Education Schools, Integration Programme in Mainstream Schools and Inclusive Education Programme as well as the introduction of a new set of regulations namely the Education (Special Education) Regulations 2013 which revoked the old Education (Special Education) Regulations 1997. d. Concerned with the public’s lack of awareness, the Commission decided to focus on the theme in order to raise public awareness on the challenges and problems faced by these children as well as to make public the available programmes provided by, either the Government or the NGOs. e. Necessary funding must be provided to guarantee all children have access to education, with the necessary support and systems in place. f. Equal emphasis must also be placed on the need for qualified and trained teachers in particular in the area of learning disabilities to ensure that children with learning disabilities would achieve their optimum potential.