THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES – FOCUSING ON PRIMARY EDUCATION 28 (c) Other facilities – Multi-sensory Room 81. The Commission noted the importance of other facilities required by CWLD to assist their physical and emotional development, such as multi-sensory rooms (also known as ‘snoozeland rooms’) and facilities for speech and occupational therapy. These were absent in all government schools visited. In contrast, many NGO learning centres are equipped with such facilities, sponsored by the private sector under corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. 3.4.2 Lessons and Activities in SEIP (a) Special Education Curriculum or Alternative Curriculum 82. Flexible approaches in education are needed to cater for and respond to the diverse abilities and needs of all learners, in particular the special needs of CWLD. As such the Ministry of Education has developed a special education curriculum better known as the alternative curriculum. This is in line with Regulation 3 of the 2013 Special Education Regulations under which “Special Education Curriculum” is defined to include the National Curriculum; the National Curriculum as modified by the Registrar General; a special curriculum designed by the Registrar General or any skill training curriculum deem suitable and beneficial for students with special needs. 83. In 2011, the Ministry of Education introduced an alternative curriculum for CWLD in primary schools. Under this alternative curriculum, lessons for CWLD include subject on self-management – including manipulative skills; basic reading and writing (English and Bahasa Malaysia); calculation skills; Arts and Music; Islamic Education and Moral; and Physical Exercise.34 84. Despite the existence of different modules in the alternative curriculum, many parents claimed that lessons in SEIP classes focused mainly, if not solely, on life skills.35 They further claimed that only singing and drawing lessons were taught to the students in SEIP classes. The allegations that lessons in SEIP classes were inadequate and repetitive were also raised by many concerned parents at the forums organised by the Commission. Although the Commission conducted several visits to schools with SEIP programmes, it was unable to assess the actual learning process in SEIP classes. 85. On the other hand, the Commission visits to NGO learning centres for CWLD uncovered a distinct learning and teaching process. While CWLD in NGO learning centres have multiple and different disabilities, who are placed in the same class, the learning and teaching process is structured to cater for the specific needs of individual students. It is further noted that the special education curriculum adopted by these centres have been developed and used by schools outside Malaysia. Surat Pekeliling Ikhtisas Bilangan 5 Tahun 2011 – Pelaksanaan Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah (KSSR) – Pendidikan Khas Tahap Satu Mulai 2011. 35 Special needs learners face obstacles, The Star, 24 August 2014. Available at http://www.thestar.com. my/News/Education/2014/08/24/Special-needs-learners-face-obstacles/. Similar observations were made at the Commission’s forums in Kuala Lumpur, Sabah and Sarawak. 34