KUCHING – The Sarawak Government has intensified its commitment to inclusive early childhood education through a strategic collaboration with the Registered Childminders Association of Malaysia (NASIM) and Tokyo Education & Inclusion Consultancy (Toy8).
The initiative, aligned with the Equality thrust of the Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, aims to build a comprehensive support ecosystem for children with special needs across the state.
Inclusive Classrooms for Empathy and Understanding
Sarawak’s Minister of Women, Children and Community Wellbeing, Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, said the state is taking the lead in implementing inclusive early childhood policies.
“We do not want children with special needs to be placed in isolation.
They should be in the same class as typical peers so that they grow up with values of empathy, awareness, and mutual understanding,” she said during a courtesy call from NASIM and Toy8 at the One Stop Early Intervention Centre (OSEIC) on Monday.
Dato Sri Fatimah also expressed her gratitude to TASKA and Tadika operators who are actively providing spaces for children with special needs alongside their peers.
“What NASIM and Toy8 offer is a support system that our educators really need.
They need special training to understand how to educate these children effectively,” she added.
Special Training and Tools for Inclusive Education
The success of inclusive education, she said, depends on collaboration across government, educators, caregivers, and parents.
NASIM, which has provided foster parent training since 2023, is now expanding to focus on special needs education through its “Noise Special Needs” programme. The initiative trains educators in specialised learning modules and early intervention strategies.
NASIM President Syamsinah Che Shariff announced a special course on 9–10 August at Serapi Hotel, tailored for caregivers and parents of children with special needs. The course will feature speech therapists and child development experts, with an expected 70 participants from across Sarawak.
Toy8’s Game-Based Screening Accelerates Support
Toy8 CEO and Founder, Shun Matzuka, introduced the company’s digital game-based development screening, now used at OSEIC. This tool aims to reduce waiting times and accelerate early interventions for children with special needs.
Toy8 also supports transition programmes to regular schools for children who demonstrate developmental improvements.
