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Children with special needs are getting much-needed attention at the Marunda SD 2 elementary school in North Jakarta, even though they’ve had to share a classroom with regular students.

Seventy-one students at Marunda — or more than one out of seven of the school’s total population of 529 students — are categorized as having learning disabilities. The special students suffer from autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or physical disabilities.

Under a conventional educational system, special-needs students would be enrolled in schools that specifically address their needs. Marunda, however, doesn’t mind integrating them into a regular classroom setup.

“These students must be included in society,” said Bedjo Sujanto, rector of the Jakarta State University (UNJ). “We mustn’t let these children feel that they’re different from society.”

These inclusive schools, which integrate regular students with special-needs children, aren’t a new concept. In Jakarta, there are 46 of these schools, ranging from kindergarten to senior highschools. Throughout the country, there are 800 of these inclusive schools on the elementary level.

“We believe that children have the right to an education, regardless of their condition,” Syafrudin, Marunda’s headmaster, told the Jakarta Globe.

One of the articles in the 2003 Law on the National Educational System states that schools should not discriminate against students for any reason.

UNJ is one of the universities that offers a special-education course. Two teachers, who earned their degrees at UNJ, were hired by Marunda and, as part of the elementary school’s objectives, facilitated a special-education training program for the other members of the faculty, Syafrudin said.

Marunda has been accepting special-needs students since 2005, when 15 special children were enrolled, Syafrudin said. That number has increased nearly fivefold since.

“We devote extra time to special-needs students so they can catch up with the lessons,” Syafrudin said. “We also make it a point that the students are given lessons outside of regular classes twice a week.”

Kartini, a fifth-grade teacher and another product of the UNJ program, said she didn’t find it difficult to divide her time between the special-needs students and the regular pupils in her class. On average, there are at least six special students in each class of 50.

Still, teachers are confronted with what they consider to be rare although manageable classroom incidents, usually regular students teasing their special classmates.

“As a teacher, you should never stop reminding the children to not do what’s wrong and always do what’s right,” Kartini said.

Although inclusive schools still lack the necessary equipment — “like overhead projectors or abacuses or materials that could help make it easier for a special student to learn,” Syafrudin said — the Ministry of National Education said it was considering handing out more operational aid (BOS) for such learning institutions.

“We understand that schools, which accept children with special needs, require more teachers,” said Sukemi, a member of the ministry’s special staff.