MORE than 520 new classes in 75 schools have started for special-needs children, while more than 51,000 pupils from poor and low-income families have successfully enrolled in public universities, the Education Ministry said in its report card for 2019.

This brings the total number of special-needs classes, known in Bahasa Malaysia as MBK (murid berkeperluan khas), to 10,200 around the country.

In 2019, the ministry also enrolled 2,636 children in schools although they lacked identity documents.

These are among the ministry’s achievements this year in the area of boosting education for underprivileged children and those with special needs, it said in its report card released today.

Education Minister Maszlee Malik said the focus on needy pupils is part of his aims to “entrench compassion” – especially for the underprivileged – as a core value in Malaysia’s education system.

“It’s not just about teaching IR (Industrial Revolution) 4.0 and coding to our kids. We need to build character,” Maszlee said in the report.

“It is only through character-building that mutual respect between the different communities can be maintained. 

“Education for the future is not just about the modern world but about enhancing our humanity.”

In line with this, the ministry has instituted a zero-rejection policy rule for special-needs children in schools, he added.

There are now 88,419 MBK pupils, up from 83,498 last year, the report said.

Among the other achievements helping underprivileged families are:

* 52.8% of places in government-aided residential schools given to B40 group;

* 62.06% of matriculation spots in public universities reserved for B40 children;

* RM68.1 million scholarships given to the B40 pupils;

* 4,369 “missing” pupils tracked down and re-enrolled into schools;

* 90% or 452 of 534 dilapidated schools repaired and reoccupied, while 1,216 dilapidated science laboratories have been refurbished; and,

* 14,911 places reserved in public universities for MBK, Orang Asal children, B40 pupils and athletes.

The ministry is also carrying out reforms to laws and policies that will further benefit these groups.

This includes two special committees to look into Orang Asli education and the needs of MBK pupils and students in tertiary institutions.

The government also wants to amend laws to make education compulsory all the way up to the secondary level. Currently, education is only compulsory up to year six. – December 13, 2019.