Jakarta still lacks schools for children with special needs, with none at all in North Jakarta, as governor-elect Pramono Anung Wibowo vows to improve the situation.
akarta governor-elect Pramono Anung Wibowo has pledged to introduce a gubernatorial regulation on education for children with special needs to demonstrate the government's commitment to securing a better future for individuals with disabilities.
"I am among those who will look into this issue [education for children with disabilities] in depth so that autistic children and those with learning difficulties in Jakarta receive proper attention,” Pramono said on Sunday, as reported by Antara news agency.
“No matter the number, it is the state's responsibility to provide support."
He made the statement while attending the 25th anniversary of Pelita Hati Special Needs School (SLB) at Beautiful Indonesia Miniature Park (TMII) in East Jakarta.
Pramono said that education for children with disabilities in Jakarta needed more attention, as there were not many specialized schools available for them.
"In Jakarta alone, there are approximately 29,000 children with autism. In almost every city, not all of them have specialized schools [SLB] for autism or schools for children with disabilities. This is one of the issues we will focus on," said Pramono.
According to official data from the city administration, as of early 2023, there were 89 SLBs in Jakarta. Of these, 13 were managed by the Jakarta Education Agency, while the remaining 76 were privately owned.
However, the distribution of SLBs in Jakarta remains uneven, with North Jakarta having none.
Pramono has committed to addressing this shortage and ensuring the establishment of special schools in the area once he takes office.
The governor-elect believed that each city and district in Jakarta must have at least one special needs school to ensure children with disabilities have equal access to education.
"Yes, I will [establish special needs schools]. For me, this is more important than anything else, including matters related to the Jakarta Smart Card, Jakarta Health Program, disabilities and the elderly," he said, as quoted by kompas.com.
Pramono's plan received appreciation from Pelita Hati SLB principal Sri Utami Sudarsono, expressing her delight at the proposal to create a gubernatorial regulation for children with special needs.
However, Sri also urged the city administration to follow up on the mandate from labor laws, which stipulate that 1 percent of employees in the private sector and 2 percent in the public sector should be individuals with disabilities.
Sri emphasized that this regulation had yet to be realized across the board.
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