West Bangka to Have Two Inclusive Elementary Schools

TheIndonesia.co - West Bangka Regency in Bangka Belitung islands is preparing inclusive education in two elementary schools in the region to promote equality and access to children with special needs.

Head of education, youth, and sports office in the regency, Rukiman, said the implementation in two schools is only the first step taken by the local government as it aims to eventually make all schools implementing inclusive education.

“As initial step, we’re starting with two schools, but in the future, we will try to make all schools here inclusive,” Rukiman said in Muntok on Monday, December 20.

According to him, the two schools that will become inclusive next year are SDN 7 Tempilang and SDN 2 Jebus, which were chosen because they’re located faraway from Mentok State Special Needs School. Therefore, children with special needs or disabilities can have the option to study in nearest school.

Teachers in the two schools have been trained, so they can deliver the learning materials to children with special needs optimally. In addition, local authorities also prepare necessary facilities to support students with special needs.

“We’ve also prepared infrastructures and facilities, including accessible toilets and pathways for wheelchair,” Rukiman added.

Besides making sure the schools ready to welcome their students, his office also continued to compile data on the number of children with special needs in the subdistrict in order to immediately formulate school planning. Afterwards, the government will inform the public on the idea of inclusive education with the hope that they will send their children to the nearest inclusive school.

Inclusive schools are the place where students with special needs or disabilities can learn alongside their regular peers, under special supervision from teachers. The establishment of these institutions is expected to promote equality and eliminate discrimination.

“These inclusive schools are important to provide equal opportunity to education to all citizens. They will also help forming [the idea] about equality early on [to students],” Rukiman said.

As for junior high level, SMPN 1 Kelapa is the designated inclusive school in West Bangka.