5.2.1 SK Bahang Penampang
SK Bahang is a primary school and it has 54 teachers and 1 000 students. The majority of the students are Kadazan, followed by other races like Chinese, Indonesians and Philipinos. SK Bahang Penampang is situated near a secondary school, SMK Bahang Penampang. SK Bahang Penampang is a feeder school for the secondary school. Those pupils who have completed the primary school education will be transferred to the secondary school.
The teachers in the school are mostly trained to teach primary school pupils. They come from different states in Malaysia. Most of them are local from Sabah. Some of them have wide experiences in dealing with young children.
The school is not a designed and built school. Its buildings are only two blocks and a teachers' apartment. The surrounding of the school is clean and there are flower gardens.
5.2.2 SK Bukit Padang Kota Kinabalu
SK Bukit Padang Kota Kinabalu is a primary school and it has been chosen to run a special education programme. It has 60 trained teachers, among whom twelve are special education teachers. It has about 1 1 00 students. This school is situated in Kota Kinabalu district and is a neighbour to SK St. Francis and two secondary schools, SM Asrama Penuh and SMK Agama.
This school has a beautiful landscape. It has a flower garden especially built for the special children. The special children are taught gardening skills as well as to instill a caring attitude toward the plants.
This school was picked to start a special education programme where ten pupils and two teachers were chosen to be the pioneers of this programme. Since then it has expanded and by then when the writer came to the school to interview the teachers, it had more than 48 special needs children and twelve special education teachers. The special education programme was started in the year 1990. It was also the time when the writer was transferred to the Education Technology Division to take care of this programme. This division was charged with the running of special education in Sabah.
Inclusive education was introduced to this school and there were two students who were full time in the inclusive education programme. Some others were only working part time where they were integrated into the regular classes, based on their abilities.
5.2.3 SK Tanah Liat Bukit Matajam Penang
SK Tanah Liat Bukit Matajam Penang is situated on the mainland of Malaysia. It is a part of Penang state. It has more than 35 teachers and 1 000 pupils. Most of the teachers are trained primary school teachers. It has a special education class. Most of the pupils come from average families where most of the parents are labourers in the plantations. It is a rural school.
5.2.4 SK Bukit Minyak, Penang
SK Bukit Minyak was opened on the 1st of September 1 995. There are 3 1 staff members of whom 1 7 are academic staff members. This school accommodates 353 students who come from nearby housing estates and village areas such as Taman Kota Permai and Kampong Permatang Tok Subuh. The majority of students who attend SK Bukit Minyak are mostly Malays and a few numbers of Indian students.
5.2.5 SRK Hishammudin, Jalan Sultan Salahuddin, Wilayah Persekutuan KL
This school has 1 090 pupils and is a grade A school. There are 48 teachers and the school has a double session. This school is in the Federal Territory and it is situated in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Most of the pupils come from the families of policemen and many of them are Malays; a few pupils are Indians and Chinese. The surroundings of the school are clean with a flower garden.
5.2.6 SR. Pengkalan Cepa Kelantan
This school has 1 1 00 pupils and 51 teachers. Most of the teachers are trained primary school teachers. Many of the pupils come from the village and housing estate. Many of them are children of parents in the police and army. This school is beautiful although it is not a designed and built building. It has morning and afternoon sessions of schooling.
5.2.7 SK Taman Maluri Jalan Wirawati 6, Kuala Lumpur
This school has a special education programme. Most of the teachers are new in the special education programme. They have only one or two years of teaching experience. They cannot tell us very much as they are also in the process of learning how to deal with special needs children.
5.2.8 SRK Lanang Melaka
SRK Lanang is a small school with about 250 pupils and 20 teachers. Most of the pupils are Malays and few Indian children. It is an old school but it has a nice flower garden.
5.2.9 SRK Datuk Hashim (1) Kota Bharu Kelantan
This school has a special education programme. This school was opened in 1 972 by the former Prime Minister, Tun Hussein Onn. There are 800 pupils and about 37 teachers. The special education programme started in 1 992. It was a big surprise to all the teachers to have special education in this school.
5.2. 1 0 SRK Air Baruk Melaka
This school has about 1 000 pupils and 54 teachers. Most of the children are Malays and there is only one Chinese child. The school has a special education programme. The special needs pupils are placed in the class on the basis of their abilities. The special education classes are located in another block. There are 14 special needs children in this school and five special teachers. This school is an old building and it has a beautiful garden. The headmaster is very kind and supportive of the special education programme.
5.2. 1 1 SRK Astana Kuching Sarawak
This school has a special education programme. There are twenty special needs children in this school. The pupils have been screened for the purpose of placement. The pupils are able to work together and they can interact with the other pupils. This school is an old school but it has beautiful garden. Most of the pupils are Iban and Malays.
5.2. 1 2 SRK Buyung Sarawak
SRK Buyung is a primary school which has about 600 pupils and 35 teachers. The teachers are mostly trained and have between two and seven years teaching experience. It is an old school with beautiful garden. It is a peaceful and quiet school.
The writer now presents the summarized answers to the questions that were posed during the interview.