Chapter 1 - Report of the Education and Public Relations Group (iii) School-based Assessment System This is not suitable for students with special needs. Teachers have difficulty in assessing their performance because of the special needs of students themselves. (iv) Misperception of mainstream teachers They often blame students with special needs for purportedly bringing down the school’s performance index. (v) Lack of supervision In certain states, the Special Education Unit of the State Education Department has yet to visit all the SES and SEIP. The lack of supervision may have contributed to gaps between policy and reality on the ground. Teachers taking part in activities at a workshop on human rights Participants’ Recommendations 1. In major examinations such as the UPSR, a different standard must be applied for children with special needs, taking into account their level of ability. 2. Examination papers for students with special needs should be marked and assessed by special education teachers because mainstream teachers do not understand how these students respond to questions. 3. As the current education policy is examination-oriented, vocational training should be extended to special needs children, to equip them with job-related skills. 4. Special Education Teachers should be accredited with the Malaysian Skills Certificate to enable them to teach vocational skills and certify the students under this scheme. The Commission will raise these issues with the relevant parties in order to come up with solutions that will benefit all parties, especially students. 25