INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

As social workers we are concerned that every child with a disability has the opportunity to reach their full potential and be integrated into society. To achieve this the Government needs to set in place a policy and legal framework; develop appropriate services and deliver resources to enable these plans to happen.  Progress has been made but there are still gaps. Your main reading for this assignment (The UNICEF Report) will help you understand better what gaps have been identified across a range of areas and your second reading (set pages from the Governments Blue Print for Education) will show you what is planned by the Government in one sector – Education.

Reading

1. UNICEF: Children with Disabilities 2014

http://www.unicef.org/malaysia/UNICEF-Children_with_Disability_in_Malaysia_2014_lowres.pdf

pdf file can be downloaded from http://www.unicef.org/malaysia/resources.html

2. Malaysian Education Blueprint: Section on Special Education http://www.moe.gov.my/cms/upload_files/articlefile/2013/articlefile_file_003108.pdf

Chapter 4 section on Special Needs Children (page 118-121 of full report p15-18 of Chapter 4) english version.

When reading I want you to particularly consider (i) the goal (vision/desired state) (ii) where access is considered a problem (iii) the need for good accurate data (iv) what resources are needed to meet the policy objectives (v) the need for collaboration/teamwork and (vi) whether there is sufficient attention given to  monitoring and evaluating the plan. You are then to briefly answer the following points  on 4-5 sheets of A4.

Your Task

After reading, answer EACH of the following Sections.  Each section carries 10 marks (ie 5%) so attempt each! I am expecting  a maximum of 1 page for each section (Times roman numerals 12 – 1.5 spacing). When referring to any aspect of the readings give the page number where it is mentioned).

Section 1:  Desired Goals: State in your own words the desired goals UNICEF has for children with disability and to what extent the Government is trying to achieve this in the field of Education, highlighting current gaps.

10 marks

Section 2: Accessibility – Describe why accessibility to services remains a problem in the field of (i) education and (ii) health and for EACH  state ONE way this could be improved.    10marks

Section 3: Stakeholders and Collaboration – (i) Name the main stakeholders in  policy & practice for Children with Disabilities  (ii) Give TWO reasons why collaboration is needed between them.  (iii) Give your view on how the voices of children with disabilities and their families can be heard when planning policy and services.       10 marks

Section 4: Data –  State why good data on children with disability is needed and describe TWO areas where improvements are required explaining how this could be done.       10 marks

Section 5:  Implementation   – UNICEF has commented that there is often poor implementation of policies. Explain why (i) adequate resources  (human and financial) and (ii) evaluation is needed to improve implementation giving examples.