Budget 2011: Help the disabled

2010/10/18

THE government has allocated RM6.4 billion to the Education Ministry as development expenditure to build and upgrade schools, hostels, facilities and equipment.

The ministry should draw up a comprehensive plan to ensure that the money is utilised in line with the "inclusive education" system.

The inclusive education system comprises an accessible infrastructure and well-trained teachers who can cater for all students.

The inclusive system will enable disabled students to attend "normal schools" just like their normal peers without being segregated based on their disabilities

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This problem has been long overlooked by the government.

The importance of education can be seen in Edward Everett's famous words: "Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army".

A huge sum of RM1.2 billion has been allocated to the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to carry out various welfare and community programmes, which include RM280 million for training programmes to benefit 80,000 registered disabled people in the country.

I strongly recommend that the allocation be utilised more to provide comprehensive training and courses on fields such as information technology, automobile repair, sales and marketing to enable the disabled to cope with the current economic situation and contribute to the country.

V. MURUGESWARAN,

President of Damai Disabled Persons Association (Selangor and Federal Territory)