A total of 421 Integrated Special Education Programmes (Isep) will be implemented this year for the benefit of 7,600 special needs students, said Education Minister Maszlee Malik.

Maszlee said these programmes involving 1,109 classes would make education more accessible to special needs students.

“The extension (of the programmes), which involves an allocation of RM54 million, is to provide facilities for special needs children to give them better access to education.

“In terms of maintenance, the Education Ministry has allocated RM16 milion this year for another 320 schools and the enrolment has also increased in tandem with the development of the infrastructure for special needs students,” he told a press conference in conjunction with his visit to check out the first day of the new school session in Kuala Lumpur today.

Maszlee said the number of special needs students registered at schools offering special education had increased to 88,419 in 2019 from 83,598 in 2018.

“This is a positive development to the zero reject policy implemented by the ministry to help the less abled group, which is also an asset to the country,” he added.

He said 75 more schools had introduced the Isep, bringing to 2,418 the number of schools offering the programme from the pre-school to secondary school levels throughout the country.

He said education for special needs students was a priority of the ministry, in line with the zero reject policy.

On the programme for the transfer of teachers by mutual agreement, which is among five major initiatives of the ministry this year, Maszlee said it would be implemented in a more organised manner via online applications.

“In 2020 and the years after, the transfer of teachers will be more organised and implemented on a digital-based system. The ministry will ensure it is carried out successfully," he said.

- Bernama