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THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES –
FOCUSING ON PRIMARY EDUCATION
being provided by NGOs. While recognising similar efforts are being
introduced by the Community Based Rehabilitation Centres (CBR), he noted
that the quality of services vary due to the lack of expertise.
26. He then highlighted several concerns regarding the current services including
absence of specific Individualized Education Plan for each student with
learning disabilities; negative perception of inexperienced teachers towards
students with learning disabilities; and limited or non-existence of training
curriculum on learning disabilities for medical student in some universities.
Panel 7:
Community Based Rehabilitation Centre: Empowering CWLD by Tuan Adnan
Abu Bakar, Director of Department of Development of People with Disabilities,
Welfare Department, Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development
27. Tuan Adnan Abu Bakar informed the participants the importance of
Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR). He stressed that CBRs is a platform
where community contributes towards the development of its members
including children with learning disabilities. CBRs provide prevention,
rehabilitation and development programmes such as basic training and
rehabilitation activities in movement, speech, education and daily-living
skills. These programmes are aimed at developing children with learning
disabilities to become independent individuals who are fully integrated into
the community.
28. He also highlighted that active involvement of the family and community
also would assist the children with learning disabilities to improve and
develop themselves.
29. He also shared to the participants with regard to the percentage of the
children with disabilities. As of April 2013, the number of registered children
with disabilities who received their early education in 486 CBRs nationwide
was 21,138. According to a profile research known as Program Semai Bakti,
Pusat Pemulihan dalam Komuniti which was conducted in 2012, 59.9%of
the enrolled children were children with learning disabilities. The other
categories were speech disabilities (14.94 %), physical disabilities (10.81 %),
cerebral palsy (8.24 %), hearing impairment (3.71 %) and visual impairment
(3.03 %).
30. He highlighted that the Welfare Department had allocated an annual grant
amounting to RM75 million to be given to all CBRs. The grant is meant to
cover the cost of running the CBR including payment of allowances and EPF
for caregivers and supervisors, rental of premises, utilities and programmes
and activities.
31. The supervisors and personnel of CBRs are given the opportunity to
participate in various training provided by the Welfare Department including
basic course for CBRs’ personnel, rehabilitation training, early intervention
training course, basic management course for children with disabilities as
well as care and education of children with learning disabilities course.