Student-Led Conference

Group Research Project Proposal

Title : Supporting a return to school for children with disabilities in a post-pandemic
environment: A comparative study of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia.

Group 4

Prepared by:

Name ID Number University

Annisa Khomsah Salsabila 20/455667/PS/08103 Universitas Gadjah Mada

Deza Nur Cahyaning Tiyas 21320302 Universitas Islam Indonesia

Jasmine Barrett 1217049 University of Melbourne

Rabiatuladawiyah Binti Abd Razak D20192091044 Sultan Idris Education

University

Tun Farsha Syazwani Binti Tun D20192091632 Sultan Idris Education

Shariman University

Lecturer's Name : Elga Andriana, S.Psi., M.Ed., Ph.D,

Submission Date : 10 October 2021
Supporting a return to school for children with disabilities in a post-pandemic
environment: A comparative study of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia.

Introduction
Students with disabilities face additional challenges that other students do not have to deal with.
During the COVID-19 pandemic many schools have switched from in-person learning to online
learning to slow the spread of the virus. People with disabilities can be more vulnerable to
COVID-19 due to underlying health conditions.

This research will examine the challenges faced by students with disabilities during the
pandemic and gather information about how they can be supported to return to in-person learning
in a post-pandemic environment. We will focus on students at primary and secondary schools in
Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia. By comparing the situation in these three countries we can
learn different strategies and increase the international networks supporting inclusive education.

Research Question
How should children with disabilities in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia be supported to
return to school in a post-pandemic environment?

Background

Situation in Australia
In Australia the government recognises eight areas in which students may need additional
support in the classroom: autism, communication needs, hearing loss, vision impairment,
learning difficulties, intellectual disability, physical disability and health care needs, and extra
support (Victorian State Government, 2019). The Disability Discrimination Act protects
children with disabilities from discrimination in education. Disability Standards for Education
are mandatory for all education providers from kindergarten to university and are designed to
ensure students with disabilities are treated fairly (NCCD, 2021). Reasonable adjustments
(sometimes referred to as reasonable accommodations) are actions that schools and teachers
make to address the needs of students. A student support group can be set up to support the
student’s needs. It is usually led by the principal and could also include parents or carers,
teachers, allied health professionals, and the student. A family advocate can also be included in
the student support group if the family chooses (Victorian State Government, 2021). If parents
or carers have a complaint about a situation at school they can contact the Department of
Education and Training, which includes an Independent Office for School Dispute Resolution.
Among the current issues, the research of Dally et al. (2019) has identified the need for
professional development and additional training for teachers at both mainstream schools and
special schools in order to effectively implement inclusive education.

The pandemic has had a greater impact on students with disabilities. Most parents are not
trained educators and many have struggled to manage homeschooling for their children, so
students with disabilities will need additional support as they return to school. According to
research carried out by Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA), only 22%
of students with a disability reported receiving sufficient support for remote learning during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the survey respondents reported “being forgotten in the shift to
remote learning, or being the last group to be considered after arrangements had been made for
the rest of the class” (Dickinson, Smith, and Yates, 2020). More research is needed to find
strategies to support students with disabilities as they return to school.

Situation in Malaysia
In a society that is rapidly advancing in technology and information, those with disabilities are
still having difficulty participating in society. I must admit the circumstances have improved in
the past decade with the advancement of technology and communication but we are still not
reaching the ideal scenario in the present day. Malaysia has taken various measures in attending
to the needs of people with disabilities. The Malaysian government has made a few significant
implementations that helped with the livelihood of those in need. Among the initiatives of the
Malaysian government is to open the eyes of the public in changing the perception and stigma of
the society towards those with disabilities and encouraging the intake of the disabeld in to the
workforce and universities and schools. Even though the government is encouraging the
enforcement of certain laws and common norms in today's society, the main issue I’d like to talk
about is the attendance in school of students with disabilities in Malaysia. With the government
trying to contain the virus as this pandemic is ongoing, a few measures have been taken to
combat the rising number of infected cases and one of which is to enforce work from home and
learn from home in society as the government tries to stop the spread of the virus. With an online
learning environment students with disabilities do not have to worry about transportation issues
to work. With most having a smart device such as a handphone and computer to communicate
and attend classes, it is still said new hurdles have appeared as many try to cope and navigate in
this new online learning environment. With students with hearing and sight disabilities having a
harder time in attending online classes, The Malaysian ministry of education has rolled out a
special program for those with learning disabilities, stated in the news article (Razalli, 2021). At
the same time many parents have lost jobs during the pandemic due to job cuts and other
economic factors stating the increase in jobless claims in Malaysia (Aziz, 2021). With this
information it is certain that parents are busy finding solutions to maintain their way of life
causing them not to have time to observe their children with learning disabilities during online
classes. This has caused an uncomfortable setting that is not conducive for at-home learning, and
other issues such as the inability to access the internet as parents are not able to pay the internet
bill for their children to attend classes. One of the ways that the Malaysian government has
helped in the education of those facing disabilities is by enforcing the Education Act of 1996 and
Disability Act 2008. This allows education to be equally available for all children without
discrimintion.

Situation in Indonesia

Based on Law number 8 of 2018, people with disabilities have the right to obtain a
quality education in educational units in all types, pathways, and levels of education in an
inclusive and special way, and also receive proper accommodation as a student. But, the data
shows that not all children with disabilities get an education in school. Around 460.000 (0,8%)
children aged 7-18 have disabilities and half of children with disabilities come from the poorest
40% of households. In Indonesia, there are 2.212 schools with special education, 180 primary
schools, 101 junior Secondary Schools, 70 Senior Secondary Schools, and 1.861 Special
Schools. 28% (3 in 10) of youth aged 19-21 years old with disabilities have never enrolled in
school (Unicef, 2019). Parents of students with disabilities pay attention to the facilities that can
be obtained, readiness and training for teachers, the right curriculum, and also the collaboration
systems with parents (Jesslin & Kurniawati, 2020).

In Indonesia, education is still a privilege to which not all children have access. Because
quality education is offered to such a small sector of the population, the knowledge gap is
widening between the wealthy and the poor. Unfortunately, a large number of these uneducated
Indonesians are students with disabilities. In addition, teachers’ knowledge of the conditions and
diversity of children with disabilities is still said to be lacking. Some institutions that have
implemented inclusive education programs apparently cannot provide maximum services for
children with special needs. Most of these institutions only use inclusive education as a branding
strategy, but in reality have not been able to adequately meet the needs of children with special
needs (Tarala, 2017). Special needs children had been left behind long before the pandemic,
according to Dr. Joko Yuwono, an expert on education for special needs kids at Sebelas Maret
University in Surakarta. The pandemic has plunged them even deeper into a state of uncertainty.
Furthermore, the unsuccessful implementation of regulation about inclusive education also
occurs due to the lack of understanding about the concept of inclusive education, monitoring and
collaboration among ministries (Pramana, 2018). As the result, there are still regulations that
discriminate against people with disabilities in obtaining education, for example health
discrimination requirements to enter university. People with disabilities face discrimination as
most people underestimate them and even consider them incapable (Kurniawati & Yunus, 2020).
This stigma has contributed to the low education of people with disabilities. Families of disabled
people tend not to enroll them. If they do go to school, they become the subject of bullying,
making them reluctant to finish their education

During the COVID-19 pandemic, students with disabilities in Indonesia have faced
additional barriers to at-home learning, and will require support to return to the classroom when
schools reopen. More research is required to understand the best strategies to support students
with disabilities returning to school.

Theoretical Framework
This research will use critical disability theory as the theoretical framework. Critical disability
theory is a progressive philosophy and subset of critical theory which provides a basis for
academics, practitioners, and activists alike to push for social change. The aim is to end stigma
and discrimination of people with disabilities to achieve equality through changing social
mindsets and cultures around the world which have traditionally oppressed people with
disabilities.

Methodology
Step 1. Literature Review:
We have conducted a preliminary literature review on inclusive education in Indonesia,
Malaysia, and Australia, and collected newspaper articles about the situation for students with
disabilities doing homeschooling or online learning during the pandemic. We intend to conduct
an in-depth literature review before commencing the fieldwork.

Step 2. Develop interview questions:

Interviewing students, teachers, and parents.
Questions for students:
a. What can we do to help you be more comfortable with the school situation?
b. What are the biggest challenges you face?
c. Have you developed any coping strategies to deal with the challenges you face?
d. Has isolation from your classmates affected you?
e. Do you miss going to school? What do you miss about it?
f. Are you looking forward to returning to the classroom?
g. What types of activities/lessons would you like the school to provide?
h. What is your dream and how do you think school can help you to make it happen?

Questions for parents:

a. What preparation is needed to ensure a smooth learning experience for your child?
b. What challenges do you expect to face as schools start to open again?
c. Would you prefer your children attend online classes or in-person classes?
d. How do the financial costs of online learning compare with in-person learning?
e. Do you have any suggestions that could improve the education system for people with
disabilities?
f. What do you see as your child’s potential?
g. What are your main concerns and priorities in terms of education?

The questions for teachers:

a. What difficulties do you face when teaching children with disabilities?
b. What is the most memorable moment you have had when teaching students with
disabilities?
c. Do you prefer teaching online classes or in-person classes? Why?
d. What are you most excited for when the children return to school?
e. Has isolation during the pandemic affected you as a teacher mentally and emotionally?
f. Have new structures or procedures been put in place for when students start to return to
school, and do you think they will be effective?
g. What mental preparation do you think is necessary in adapting back to in-person classes?
h. What can the government do to support you and your students to ensure that children with
disabilities are given the same rights in education as others?

Step 3. Apply for ethics approval to conduct the research.

Step 4. Find interview participants

We will select interview participants using cluster sampling in order to obtain a representative
sample. We will identify inclusive schools and contact the principal to ask for permission to
conduct interviews, then obtain informed consent from the participants including teachers,
parents and students.

Step 5. Conduct semi-structured interviews by phone and record them using a voice memo app.

Step 6. Collate and analyse the data.

We will transcribe the phone interviews and code them using NVIVO software. Finally we will
analyse the data to identify trends.
Step 7. Develop policy recommendations for governments, and suggest support strategies for
teachers, parents, and students as they return to school.

Anticipated ethical issues

During the interview process, some participants might feel distressed talking about the stressful
situations they have experienced during the pandemic. We plan to give each participant an
online voucher to compensate them for their time. We will guarantee the privacy and
confidentiality of the participants, and if we discover a situation where a participant needs help
we will refer them to a local NGO or disability service provider.

References:
Aziz, M. A. (2021, February 8). Kadar pengangguran di Malaysia meningkat. Berita Harian.
https://www.bharian.com.my/bisnes/lain-lain/2021/02/784288/kadar-pengangguran-di-mala
ysia-meningkat

Dally, K. A., Ralston, M. M., Strnadová, I., Dempsey, I., Chambers, D., Foggett, J., Paterson, D.,
Sharma, U., & Duncan, J. (2019). Current Issues and Future Directions in Australian
Special and Inclusive Education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 44(8).
https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol44/iss8/4
Dickinson, H., Smith, C., and Yates, S. (2020, July 24). Only one fifth of school students with
disability had enough support during the remote learning period.
https://theconversation.com/only-one-fifth-of-school-students-with-disability-had-enough-s
upport-during-the-remote-learning-period-143195
Jesslin, & Kurniawati, F. (2020). Perspektif Orang Tua terhadap Anak Berkebutuhan Khusus di
Sekolah Inklusif. Jurnal Pendidikan Inklusi, 3(2), 72–91.

Kurniawati, A., & Yunus, A. (2020). Indonesia : moving away from segregated education to
inclusive education for people with disabilities. Journal of Critical Reviews, 7(19),
910–919. http://repository.unhas.ac.id/id/eprint/4048/1/indonesia moving away from
segregated education to inclusive education for people with disabilities.pdf

NCCD (2021) Disability Standards for Education. A practical guide for individuals, families and
communities.
https://www.nccd.edu.au/disability-standards-education?parent=%252Ffor-parents-guardia
ns-and-carers&activity=%252Fdisability-standards-education&step=-1/
Pramana, R. P. (2018, December 5). Six problems that exclude disabled people in Indonesia from
public life. The Conversation.
 https://theconversation.com/six-problems-that-exclude-disabled-people-in-indonesia-from-
public-life-105769

Razalli, A. R. (2021, May 25). Teknik PdPR murid OKU. Berita Harian.
https://www.bharian.com.my/berita/pendidikan/2021/05/820506/teknik-pdpr-murid-oku
Tarala, K. (2017). Indonesian education system for disabled needs improvement. Borgen Project.
https://borgenproject.org/indonesian-education-system-for-disabled-need-improvement/

Unicef. (2019). Anak dengan Disabilitas dan Pendidikan. In Unicef.

https://www.unicef.org/indonesia/id/documents/anak-dengan-disabilitas-dan-pendidikan
Victorian State Government, Department of Education and Training. (2021). Disability rights
and responsibilities.
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/teachers/learningneeds/Disability%20
rights%20and%20responsibilties_accessible.pdf
Victorian State Government, Department of Education and Training. (2019). Inclusive
Education. https://www.education.vic.gov.au/parents/additional-needs/Pages/default.aspx

1. Introduction -farsha 1 min

2. Australia - Jasmine 2 min
3. Malaysia - atul 2 min
4. Indonesia - deza 2 min
5. Theoretical Framework - Jasmine 1min
6. Methodology - anis 3 min
7. Ethics - farsha 1 min