Case study - TAARANA SCHOOL, PJ

School : Taarana School
Location: SS3/39 PJ

Taarana is a school that cater for children who has learning disability which is located at PJ. Taarana is run and managed by a foundation '' Vijayaratnam Foundation". TAARANA means ‘Awakening’ in Sanskrit and was established as a centre for children with special education needs. TAARANA is currently catering up to 53 children within the age group of 6-16 who face challenges with the regular school curriculum and have delayed development academically, socially and adaptively. This includes those with mild intellectual abilities such as ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Down Syndrome, Learning Disability, Sensory-Integration Disorder, Speech Impairment, Global Development Delay, Impulsive Behaviour, Mild Intellectual Impairment and Mild Autism Spectrum Syndrome. They provide programmes suitable for all our students, understanding their strengths and weakness. Thus, each student follows and Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) that allows them to make progress at their own pace.

The purpose of visit to this school is to study their accessibility, method of tecahing the childrens, and to know the curriculum activity conducted for them. Based on my understanding they group the children to different category on learning problems and conduct theraphy for them. Each class consists of two teachers to assist the childrens

1. THE MAIN ENTERANCE

2. THE EMERGENCY STAIRCASE

3.RAMPS FOR DISABLE CHILDREN


4. STAIRCASE HANDRAILS HAVE DIFFERENT MATERIALS

Inclusive learning issue in Malaysia

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/education/2014/12/21/of-kids-and-inclusive-learning/

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Children with special needs and capabilities must be nurtured and allowed to grow alongside their ‘normal’ peers at school for better outcomes. 

Every children deserves an equal rights in education and no one should be left isolated by looking at their disability. As start towards inclusive education the government has took initiative to implement inclusive special need education system.

The Education Ministry offers three options under the National Special Needs Education system specifically for those with hearing, visual or learning disabilities.

They include:

• Five secondary schools, three vocational colleges and one school each for children with visual and hearing disabilities;

• Special education integrated programme which has a special class in 2,000 government or government-aided schools and

• Inclusive Education Programme (pupils with disabilities or special needs who are placed so that they can integrate with other students in mainstream classes).

Although the intention is there to overcome discriminatory menatlity and educate the society, thus is still lacking of enrollment, trained teachers, disable friendly facilities and etc.

As of April 30, the number of children with special education needs in inclusive education program stands at 58,253 while 1,742 schools offer inclusive education programmes.

It has not been an easy ride and there are many challenges. They include:

• The shortage of qualified teachers, shortage of professional support such as speech and language therapists and educational psychologists.

• The lack of a tailored curriculum for certain learning disabilities;

• Inadequate disabled-friendly facilities in mainstream schools;

• Lack of uniformity of access to education services especially in Sabah and Sarawak and the interior of other states; and·

• Insufficient sensitive technological devices like hearing aids, Braille typing machines etc.

We need to create a strong awareness on the communities that students with special needs have the potential to excel and their disability can be minimised if they are given equal opportunities to learn in the mainstream classes.

The latest thinking on the critical importance of inclusive education highlighting on what can still be done, calls for a review of the existing practices, perspectives and framework by carrying out case studies and making relevant analyses of the data collected.

This move needs to explore the full array of social and educational benefits of the different programmes for students with disabilities. It also needs to explore how related evidence of return on investment in the global knowledge economy can be manifested and managed across other countries.

Special needs learners face obstacles- The Star

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/education/2014/08/24/special-needs-learners-face-obstacles/




It is time for the authorities to look into a segment of society that needs to get an equal and inclusive education.

Parents with special needs children have pointed out that one of the shifts in the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 stipulates that equal access to quality education of an international standard must be available to all. Yet many remain sceptical.

They also have the choice of enrolling in a special education integrated programme in which there are dedicated classes for such students, or in inclusive education programmes where they are integrated into mainstream classes.

The parents of children in a special needs playgroup her daughter was a part of, had expressed their concerns about the lack of schools or institutions in Malaysia that catered to these children.

One of the parents claims that her daughter hasn’t gained much academically because of the lackadaisical attitude of the teachers in her class.They have no proper training and lack compassion when handling their charges, she adds. 

The parents said there is no any interaction created between the special child and ordinary child in classroom and they are left isolated. Besides, the teacher's except the children to mingle together during recces break. The school should work out with a good strategy on how to tackle this issue and doesn't cause any discrimination towards this children. 

*As per issues raised by the parents could be a evidence for me to say that school in Malaysia is still lacking inclusivity.

Learning argreement

                                            

LEARNING AGREEMENT

1. THE CHOSEN SITE & RESEARCH TOPIC/ISSUES YOU WISH TO STUDY

SITE 1:  SETAPAK BLINDNESS SPECIAL EDUCATION SECONDARY SCHOOL (SMPK)

SITE 2: THE SCHOOL TAARANA (PUSAT PENDIDIKAN KHAS SINAR)

SITE 3: SMK RAJA MAHADI

Inclusivity of architecture is an idea of creating a space for a human to use or enter the space without any discrimination and has an aspect of warm welcoming feeling. The idea of inclusivity of architecture that is going to be look upon in Malaysia is the education part whereby there is always a separation and discrimination for the disable group of people. Even though, inclusivity is growing better in the other categories such as providing facilities in public space and taking up consideration for other issue there is still lack of this element in schools. It is believed that creating a better society starts from educating the children from young and allowing them to mingle with everyone. This could be a good opportunity to look upon the disable children to be a part of them whereby they will have a better self-confidence and feeling of not being discriminated. Architecture will be one of the way to create this inclusivity by having an integrated schools and space for a better living society in future. So, I would like to study how could ordinary schools in Malaysia can be more inclusive in welcoming the disable people to be a part of it.

2. OUTLINE OF REPORT AND HOW YOU WISH TO CARRY OUT YOUR OBJECTIVES   

CHAPTER 1-  INCLUSIVITY IN MALAYSIA

1.1  Inclusivity definition

1.2  Overview of inclusivity in Malaysia

1.2.1 People’s perception

      1.2.2 Acceptance ability of people towards new things

CHAPTER 2- DISABLE CHILDREN

2.1 Disable children

     2.1.1 Disable children meaning 

     2.1.2 Types of disable children category

     2.1.3 Behavior and needs

2.2 People perception towards disable children

2.3 Level of equality given in public space

CHAPTER 3 – LESS INCLUSIVITY IN SCHOOL

3.1 Types of schools

      3.1.1 Ordinary schools

      3.1.2 Special schools

3.2 Problems in ordinary schools that cause no development for integrated school

      3.2.1 Less professional teachers

      3.2.2 Boundary separation between category of people

      3.2.3 No design accessibility consideration disable group

      3.2.4 Perception towards disable children should be handle separately

      3.2.5 No intakes open in ordinary school for this category of people

      3.2.6 Lack of general facilities

               - Toilets

               -  Sports and study equipment

3.3 Problems faced by disable children due to less inclusivity in schools

     3.3.1 Less interaction with other children

     3.3.2 Less self confidence

     3.3.3 Mindset of being discriminated

     3.3.4 Creates a boundary for them to step in buildings

CHAPTER 4- STEPS IN MOVING TOWARDS INCLUSIVITY SCHOOL

4.1 Importance for considering disable people in integrated school

     4.1.1 Self-confidence gaining space

     4.1.2 A step of architecture growing towards inclusivity in Malaysia

     4.1.3 Deserve equality in education as others

     4.1.4 Same Syllabus  

     4.1.5 Reduction of discrimination among the young generation

4.2 Steps of consideration should be taken in designing an integrated school

     4.2.1 Space requirement (accessibility/ circulation)

     4.2.2 Types of Furniture

     4.2.3 Disable friendly facilities

     4.2.4 Disable study equipment

     4.2.5 Materials (Finishes)

     4.2.6 Colour Scheme

    

4.3 Case study

      4.3 1 Setapak Blindness Special Education Secondary School (SMPK)

      4.3.2 The School Taarana (Pusat Pendidikan Khas Sinar)

4.4 The Strategy Plans

       4.4.1 Sharing common space curriculum activity space

       4.4.2 Educational Programme

       4.4.3 Sports Carnival

       4.4.4 Cultural Programmes

       4.4.5 Green environment activity

CHAPTER 5 – THE CONCLUSION

• Shapes a better community with more globalise mind-set
• School are place to implant inclusivity from young
• No discrimination for a person to use a building
• Consideration of more inclusivity in architecture for better future
• Educating from young will shape a better generation with an open mentality

      

3. RESEARCH PLAN AND METHODOLOGY

   

Ø  Survey form

-       Survey the General Public to know their perception towards inclusivity

-       Survey the Disable children parents to know the opinion towards integrated schools

-       Teachers of Setapak Blind School

Ø  Site Visit -   Setapak Blindness Special Education Secondary School (SMPK)

-       The School Taarana (Pusat Pendidikan Khas Sinar)

-       SMK Raja Mahadi

Ø  Books – Design Meets Disability

              (Pullin, 2009)

Ø  Interview –a) The teachers of The School of Taarana

                 b) Parents

           

                 c) Disable children

Ø  Online resources

A)    News

-       http://www.thestar.com.my/news/education/2014/12/21/of-kids-and-inclusive-learning/

-       http://www.themalaymailonline.com/what-you-think/article/rights-and-opportunities-for-children-with-disabilities-in-malaysia-zoe-gan

-       http://www.thestar.com.my/news/education/2014/08/24/special-needs-learners-face-obstacles/

      

B)    Blog

-       https://askpergers.wordpress.com/2015/02/27/inclusion-in-mainstream-schools-vs-special-needs-schools/comment-page-1/

      

C)    Document from Website

file:///C:/Users/Asus/Downloads/2013%20Final%20Mapping%20Report.pdf

http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/documents/children_disability_rights.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/276698/Building_Bulletin_102_designing_for_disabled_children_and_children_with_SEN.pdf

http://www.unicef.org/guyana/SOWC_2013_Executive_Summary.pdf

D)    Website

http://www.taarana.org.my/about-us/the-school/

http://www.livingmadeeasy.org.uk/children/

http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/learning-disabilities/inclusive-education/making-inclusion-a-reality/

http://phdinspecialeducation.com/how-to-support-special-needs-students/