A special education school, specifically for children with autism, will be constructed in Pulai, Johor Bahru, according to Aznan Tamin, the chairman of the Johor Education and Information Committee.
He said that at the end of last year, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi brought up the issue with Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.
As a result, he said, the announcement about the school’s construction would be the best ‘gift’ for parents of autistic children, particularly in Johor, who want their children to continue developing learning and self-care skills.
Bernama reported that the details on the school project will be announced by the Ministry of Education (KPM).
When presenting the 2025 Budget, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the construction of two new schools for students with special needs, one in Tuaran, Sabah, and the other in Johor Bahru, Johor, at a cost of RM300 million.
The Johor Bahru school will be the first to focus on education for autistic children.
Siti Noraisikin Mohd Jazuli, the Clinical Director of IndeBrain Occupational Therapy Solutions, a centre for special children, stated that the building of the school is required in light of the rise in the number of autistic children in the nation.
According to data from the Department of Social Welfare (JKM), there has been a sharp rise in the number of children with autism over the past ten years, with 53,323 new cases of autism being diagnosed last year.
The absence of facilities for special education students at school, particularly in the Integrated Special Education Programme (PPKI), is one of the primary concerns of parents, according to Siti Noraisikin.
“In Malaysia, there are Early Intervention Centres to meet the needs of these special children, especially children with autism, but the main issue often involves finances because the cost of sending children to private centres is relatively high compared to sending them to mainstream schools.
“Therefore, we welcome the announcement through the 2025 Budget to provide facilities and give priority to children with special needs,” she said.
