Kuala lumpur: The Ministry of Education (MOE) is encouraging more prospective teachers to choose special education as their teaching option, in response to the growing demand for Special Education Integrated Programme (PPKI) classes in primary schools nationwide. Deputy Minister Wong Kah Woh said that currently, about 90 percent of special education teaching positions have been filled, but the ministry aims to increase this to 97 percent in the near future.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, parents are becoming more aware of the importance and role of PPKI classes, which in turn is driving up demand. Therefore, the MOE wants to ensure there are enough trained teachers to be placed in primary schools offering this option across the country. Wong made the statement after officiating the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of PPKI classrooms at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Chung Tak, Kampung Simee.

As of July 31, a total of 10,359 special education teachers were serving nationwide, with 6,799 PPKI classes established across national schools (SK), Tamil national-type schools (SJKT), and Chinese national-type schools (SJKC). Wong explained that all special education teachers are trained at Institutes of Teacher Education (IPGs) nationwide.

In addition to popular options such as Malay, Chinese, English, Mathematics, and Science, special education is also vital as it offers a meaningful and relevant career path in teaching. Regarding the approval of new PPKI classes, Wong stated that applications are assessed based on three main criteria, namely student demand, availability of facilities, and teacher staffing.

He emphasized that providing adequate infrastructure, such as classrooms, toilets, and support equipment, is a key requirement before a school can be approved to open such classes. Wong added that the aim is to ensure that areas with high demand are not left behind in gaining access to proper special education, while also ensuring smooth learning processes.