It has long been established that education is a human right that everyone is entitled to. The right education provides people with the opportunity to grow and develop into critical thinkers that have the capacity to better their lives. However, there is still prejudice towards certain groups of people that make education a privilege that is exclusionary.
This is a common experience for parents of children with special needs (CWSN). Many of these parents often face the difficulty of finding a school that can appropriately accommodate their child and their needs. There are plenty of factors that contribute to this difficulty, two of which are the lack of qualified professionals and the other is the lack of proper facilities. Despite these obstacles, there has been a steady rise in educational institutions and organisations that aim to help CWSN receive the schooling they deserve.
Addressing the Need for Inclusive Education in Indonesia
In Indonesia, special schools called Sekolah Luar Biasa have been established to serve CWSN. However, these schools are often plagued by a number of problems which include lacking the funds to accommodate the population of students with special needs in their respective areas. While local governments are actively looking for ways to remedy this situation, there have been a number of different institutions that are stepping up.
Several private an and Jakarta have made themselves more inclusive by hiring qualified teachers to hold special classes for CWSN, while others have created specialised curricula to accommodate CWSN. A prime example is the Individualised Education System (IES), which enables schools to personalise a child’s curriculum to meet their individual learning needs.
The Benefits of an Individualised Curriculum
An IES works by identifying the specific learning needs of a child and seamlessly integrating the solutions in a curriculum that will allow them to learn at their own pace without being completely left behind. This system was developed in order to provide CWSN with the appropriate attention they require in their schooling while teaching them independence as its application only allows for assistance when the situation calls for it.
This system also encourages parent participation and requires them to take an active role in their child’s education. While this will result in several meetings and evaluations over the course of the child’s school years, it will help both the parents and educators understand what the child needs in order to progress.
Choosing a School that Encourages Development
School plays an important role in any child’s growth and development as a person. Choosing the right school for a child will always be a difficult decision, even more so when they have special needs. Luckily, there more schools all over Indonesia that are offering educational programs that can accommodate these needs and integrate the children into the curriculum. As the number of schools adopting IES continues to grow and more special needs schools are being established, parents can be more confident that their children will be able to receive the education every person is entitled to.
