EENET asia Newsletters : inaugural issue JUNE 2005 Contents

The Role of Resource Centres in a Process Towards Inclusive Education

Dewi Marza

Indonesia has recently embarked on the road towards inclusion. Inclusive education is based on the belief that every child can learn and needs to be respected for who (s)he is and receives the services (s)he needs.

Until recently children with disabilities had to go to special schools, only a few children were integrated into regular schools. Studying at a special school isolates children from mainstream society. It is therefore more challenging for them later to become active members of their local communities. Solidarity, empathy, mutual respect, friendship and character are shaped when children from the same neighbourhood with different abilities play and learn together.

Payakumbuh (West-Sumatra), Indonesia is implementing inclusion by providing services to children with visual impairment and their class teachers in regular schools. The Resource Centre gives the support for Children with Special Needs. At the moment, the centre can offer learning and teaching devices, books in Braille and adjusted print and trained itinerant resource teachers to support and counsel children with special needs in the regular schools. Inclusive education can be implemented in Indonesia but like elsewhere it must be adjusted to local conditions

It needs comprehensive understanding of the education system at different levels,. The resource centre receives support from the Ministry of National Education through the Directorate for Special Education and Braillo Norway (central level) , from Education Authorities of West-Sumatra (provincial level), from Education Authorities of Payakumbuh (municipal level) and from the community.

Duties and Function of the Resource Centre
• Assessment activities
• Training of itinerant teachers
• Services and counselling to regular schools with pupils with visual impairment
• Production and distribution of books in Braille and learning and teaching devices for pupils with visual impairments
• Individual training programmes to develop the skills and talents of pupils with visual impairments
• Cooperation with parents, community and others stakeholders
• Awareness activities related to children with special needs through seminars and the media

All of the activities listed above have already been implemented using the human resources available at the resource centre. Throughout the planning and implementation process many important lessons and experiences have been gathered. This has helped us to develop the resource centre to what it is today.

Visiting mainstream schools is the main activity of the resource centre. In Payakumbuh 26 children with visual impairments in primary, lower secondary and higher secondary schools are currently supported. Services have recently been extended to other nearby cities on an on-call basis. Itinerant resource teachers are doing a valuable job supporting pupils with special needs in regular schools helping them to improve the quality of their education.

The second strategic programme established is the production of books in Braille and teaching devices that addresses the needs of pupils with special needs. Another task of the Braille production unit is to make tests and examinations available in Braille. This is done in cooperation with the local schools. Recently, pupils with visual impairment studying in regular schools took the initiative to establish an Association of Students in Inclusive Schools. The students meet regularly at the resource centre. This organisation is very important for them, as they can share their experiences in the regular schools. They are also producing a magazine in Braille published every three months.

Recently we found an eight-year-old child with visual impairment that was not yet sent to school. The parents did not want their child to stay in a dormitory in the special school, because they did not want to separate from their child. The resource centre therefore identified a regular school that would be able to offer an inclusive environment. The following steps were followed:

• Visit the home of the child and the regular school
• Invite the parents to the resource centre to discuss the education programme for their child
• Give initial training to the child, the parents and the teachers of the chosen regular school
• The Braille production unit prepares the books that will be needed by the child in the new school

Through this programme the resource centre tries to prove that inclusive education is the solution for parents who want their children to study in the regular neighbourhood school [rather than in a special school].
To further develop the process towards inclusion special schools should be transformed into resource centres. The centres should work together with the regular schools to give optimal service to all children who need extra support regularly or at certain times and/or in certain subject areas. The itinerant teachers from the resource centre can support the children and their class teachers to increase the quality of education for all children with special needs or otherwise at risk for non-achievement.

Inclusive education is a team effort and it is a reward, a challenge and a privilege to be a contributing member of a TEAM!

Dewi Marza is the Head of the Regional Resource Centre for Inclusion and Special Needs Education for West-Sumatra and a member of the National Resource Group on Inclusive Education. She can be contacted at:

Pusat Sumber Pendidikan Inklusi dan Berkebutuhan Khusus
SD-07 Kubu Gadang
Jl. Pacuan Kubu Gadang
Payakumbuh
Sumatera Barat, Indonesia
Email: dewimzaghloel@telkom.net

EENET asia Newsletters : inaugural issue JUNE 2005 Contents