Deputy minister Wong Kah Woh said about 90% of special education teaching posts are currently filled, with the ministry aiming to raise this to 97% soon.

“Parents are becoming more aware of the importance and role of PPKI classes, which in turn is driving up demand.

“Therefore, the education ministry wants to ensure there are enough trained teachers to be placed in primary schools offering this option across the country,” he said after officiating the groundbreaking ceremony for new PPKI classrooms at SJKC Chung Tak in Kampung Simee, Ipoh today.

As of July 31, there are 10,359 special education teachers and 6,799 classes across national schools, Tamil national-type schools and Chinese national-type schools.

Wong said all special education teachers are trained at institutes of teacher education nationwide.

“In addition to popular options such as Bahasa Melayu, Chinese, English, Mathematics and Science, special education is vital as it offers a meaningful and relevant career path in teaching,” he said.

On the approval of new special education classes, he said applications are assessed based on student demand, available facilities, and teacher staffing.

Schools must also provide adequate infrastructure, including classrooms, toilets, and support equipment, before approval.

“We want to ensure that areas with high demand are not left behind in gaining access to proper special education, while also ensuring smooth learning processes,” he said.