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The announcement that 500 KAFA teachers educating students with special needs will receive a monthly incentive of RM150 under Budget 2027 is a welcome move. However, while the initiative deserves recognition, it also raises an important question: Is this enough to recognise the dedication and challenges faced by these educators?
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the special incentive would benefit KAFA teachers who teach students with special needs, including through sign language and Braille Quran learning. The government has also increased the allocation for Islamic affairs from RM2.6 billion to RM3.1 billion.
In my opinion, the RM150 monthly incentive is a positive step towards recognising a group of educators whose contributions may not always receive the attention they deserve. Teaching students with special needs requires patience, understanding, creativity and specialised skills. For teachers who use sign language or Braille to make Quranic education accessible, their responsibilities go beyond conventional teaching methods. They help ensure that students with disabilities are not excluded from learning about their faith. This is about more than financial assistance. It is about inclusion, equal access to religious education and recognising the people who make these opportunities possible. However, I believe the government should view this incentive as a starting point rather than a complete solution.
At RM150 per month, the additional payment amounts to RM1,800 a year for each eligible teacher. While every ringgit helps, the government should also consider whether further support is needed, particularly for teachers who require specialised training, teaching materials and accessible learning resources.
Another important consideration is whether 500 teachers are sufficient to meet the needs of students with special needs across the country. The announcement highlights a specific group of educators, but it should also encourage a broader discussion about the availability of specialised religious education for children with disabilities, especially in underserved communities.
Moving forward, the government could explore additional professional development programmes, better teaching resources and a review of the incentive as implementation progresses. These measures would help ensure that the policy delivers meaningful benefits to both teachers and students.
Ultimately, a budget should not be judged by the amount of money announced alone, but by the difference it makes in people's lives.
The RM150 monthly incentive under Budget 2027 sends an encouraging message that special needs education deserves attention and recognition. The next step is to ensure that this recognition translates into sustained support, better opportunities and a more inclusive education system.
Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, regardless of their abilities. And every teacher who works to make that possible deserves meaningful support. Because inclusion should not stop at the classroom door, and no child should be left behind in the journey of learning.
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Badrulamin Luthfi (mobamil96@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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