Khairil Azhar, 19 July 2009
Several weeks ago, some of my colleagues in charges of overseeing the national exams classes and the aide-teachers assisting the special need students were furious. They talked about how the problems for the special needs are made the same as the normal ones. They were becoming more furious when the school inspector easily commented that the difficulty coming up as the risks of running an inclusive school, when contrarily on the days not filled with national exams atmosphere, we enjoy a more relaxing conversation and seems to give mutual symbiosis advantages.
On the Autism Day, 8 April 2009, it was released that the prevalence of children with special needs has reached 10 of 100 children. It means that 10 percent of the children population consists of the children with the special needs and they demand special care, parenting and schooling (okezone.com - 4/27/2009). In the national scale, there have been 1,5 million children aged 6-15 years that only 52,000 of them who have already attended special schools (Harian Seputar Indonesia, 3/5/07).
Following the above facts, I have just read an editorial telling how the special need students are also facing some obstacles in getting their right of proper education in America (Washington Post, 29 April). There, in a country labeled itself as the best democratic one, the political figures are half-hearted of struggling the right of proper education for some of their citizens. They are not sure yet whether to finance the special need students education or leaving some of them (who can not afford the suitable private school) getting the same standards of education as the normal ones in the public schools.
Since this was the first time I work for an inclusive school, two years ago I visited the website of the National Education Department which provides the services for inclusive school needs. It was almost empty! Directly, after getting the same experiences several times with the governmental official websites, I gave up. Luckily I can read English sources. Hundreds of NGOs as well as other foreign governmental websites provide almost everything of what I need. And all of the materials are free.
It is only the tip of an iceberg however, even though a very little of it has been dismantled. Hundreds of parents, hopefully not only tens of them, fortunately have been realizing what to do for having special needs children. If they are with good financial background spending hundreds of millions rupiahs to facilitate their beloved children is not a matter. Some publishers, regardless of their profiting aims, have published books which are not only telling the success stories but also of how to wisely take care of that special need ones. And some NGOs and private institutions as well have been the pioneers of conducting these special purposes education.
But there have been only thousands of more than a million and a half special needs children are likely facilitated so far. How about the rest? Will they be the lost-generation with no hope of enabling themselves even to be standing on their feet in this hardening life? Are we preparing some of our children who are by some people cursed as unlucky or even superstitiously cursed as being condemned to be dependant onto others?
As stated in editorial article of Washington Post, 29 April edition, special need students, following many observations, in most cases are assumed will be better handled in private schools. American public schools, although in some cases the teachers get better incomes and the schools get many kinds of aid from the government obviously have failed to provide proper services. The private schools, with its more limited financial capability and lower income teachers have proven themselves as the safer heaven and more promising atmosphere to make them mature.
When we ask a question about where to send the special need children to a randomly chosen official, there are usually two answers given. Firstly, because of his autism or any other problems, the student can be sent to Sekolah Luar Biasa or SLB (school for students with physical disabilities). Secondly, the official may say “Please find a good inclusive school. I recommend this school and that school.”
The more interesting facts, beside the idea of treating all special need students as the same with uniqueness is inappropriate it is really hard to find a good SLB that is run by the state. The second choice is even more ridiculous. As long as I know, inclusive schools mostly conducted by private institutions or foundations. A child will be very lucky if his parents can afford it. But how if the parents have been with all blood and sweat just to afford daily simple meals? Does not it mean that the disadvantaged remains disadvantaged?
It is also already known that sending a special need child to a therapy center costs a fortune. At a clinic providing therapy for special need children in Pamulang, a parent should pay between 100 to 300 thousand rupiah per session. Likewise, if a child with special needs is sent to a private inclusive school, such as Lazuardi GIS in Cinere, the fees can reach 2 – 3 millions per month excluding transportation, special sessions, and so on. If the parents wish a private therapist to handle their children at home they at least have to spend around 75 -150 thousand per session.
Up till now, none of my colleagues who are aide-teachers tell me that there is a therapy center opened for free by the government. On the other way, the National Education Department spends trillions annually for the sake of “education” special education remains untouched. As released by the National Education Department, for 2007 annual financial policy the amount for special education reached 365 billions plus the amount provided by regional district or provincial governments (Diknas, 2007). But unfortunately there are only some of the special need students have really got it.
It is also about people consciousness. Most of the people, as far as I know, especially the less educated parents, do not realize or know about what actually happened to Hee Ah Lee, Thomas Alva Edison, Lionel Messi, Agatha Christie, or even Albert Einstein. All of them faced at least an educational problem in their lives related to learning disabilities. Who knew in his childhood Edison had been sent home by the teacher for being unable to be like the other students? The common people in this part think linearly, as common as the government itself. They do not realize that Hee Ah Lee with her many disabilities has been able to play piano much better than a normal or even a genius.
The key of the problem here is about being knowledgeable and caring. So common to the people that someone who is good in math, sciences or languages deserves a better life and brighter future. They do not understand or convince yet about the concept of multiple intelligences proposed by Howard Gardner, for instance. They are still influenced strongly by the out of date myth of thinking monolithically, that better education is for the “completely built human.” Some or even most of the people have no idea yet that special need children actually are gifted and talented as long as they are facilitated.
The constitution says that every citizen deserves to get a suitable education and guaranteed by the state. It is, of course, so far is an article for the advantaged children. There is no actual action from the legislators as well as the executives I can found. In my days at schools the parents with their special need children still have to pay more, sometimes more than 200 percent fee to ensure them at least get what they deserve.
But at the end, this is the society that has to create an environment that makes more people more knowledgeable and caring through financial aid participation or even directly involved in handling it in the field. Expecting too much to the legislators or executives nowadays is a pitiful outcry anyhow. With their efforts to ensure new positions in the today’s political show our proposals of making the children get what they deserve will just on the sideline or even forgotten. Even though there is a ridiculous hope that some of them may suddenly get an idea to use this issue for one of their campaign. But finally it is us, the people, who actually can make a difference. They have been so busy with their own businesses.
The writer is a teacher
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