Pemprov Papua Siapkan Beasiswa bagi Siswa SLB Berprestasi Nasional

Kepala Dinas Pendidikan Provinsi Papua, Marthen Medlama, mengatakan pemerintah memberikan perhatian serius terhadap pengembangan potensi dan prestasi siswa berkebutuhan khusus. Beasiswa dapat diberikan apabila siswa berprestasi tersebut ingin melanjutkan pendidikan.
“Jika ke depan anak ini ingin melanjutkan studi, kami bisa memberikan beasiswa sebagai bentuk penghargaan pemerintah terhadap anak yang sudah memiliki prestasi di tingkat nasional,” kata Marthen di Jayapura, Jumat.
Salah satu prestasi tersebut diraih Avila Bulan Carmelita Eve Mauri dari SLB Negeri 1 Jayapura. Ia meraih juara pertama cabang olahraga lompat jauh pada ajang Olimpiade Olahraga Siswa Nasional (O2SN) Pendidikan Khusus dengan mewakili Provinsi Papua.
Marthen turut mengapresiasi Kepala SLB Negeri 1 Jayapura, Kamino, beserta para guru yang telah membina siswa hingga mampu meraih prestasi di tingkat nasional. Menurutnya, keberhasilan tersebut menunjukkan pentingnya dukungan tenaga pendidik dalam mengembangkan kemampuan anak berkebutuhan khusus.
“Anak berkebutuhan khusus memiliki hak yang sama untuk memperoleh pendidikan dan mengembangkan kemampuan sesuai dengan potensi masing-masing tanpa diskriminasi,” ujarnya.
Ia menjelaskan, sejumlah alumni SLB telah berhasil melanjutkan pendidikan hingga perguruan tinggi, termasuk di Malang. Capaian tersebut menunjukkan bahwa anak berkebutuhan khusus memiliki peluang untuk mengembangkan kemampuan akademik dan meraih pendidikan yang lebih tinggi.
“Karena itu, kami sangat mendorong para siswa untuk terus berusaha dan mengembangkan kemampuan, sementara orang tua diharapkan memberikan kesempatan kepada anak untuk mengenyam pendidikan sesuai dengan kebutuhan,” kata Marthen.
Marthen juga mengingatkan agar anak-anak yang membutuhkan layanan pendidikan khusus tidak hanya tinggal di rumah. Menurutnya, SLB telah memiliki tenaga pendidik yang disiapkan untuk memberikan layanan pendidikan sesuai kebutuhan siswa.
“Tenaga pendidik di SLB telah disiapkan untuk memberikan pelayanan pendidikan bagi anak berkebutuhan khusus sehingga orang tua diharapkan memanfaatkan fasilitas yang tersedia,” ujarnya. ***

The head of the Papua Provincial Education Office, Marthen Medlama, said the government is committed to nurturing the potential and supporting the achievements of students with special needs. Scholarships could be awarded to these high-achieving students if they wish to continue their studies.

“If these children wish to continue their studies in the future, we can provide scholarships as a form of government recognition for their achievements at the national level,” Marthen said in Jayapura on Friday.

One such student is Avila Bulan Carmelita Eve Mauri from SLB Negeri 1 Jayapura. Representing Papua Province, she won first place in the long jump at the National Student Sports Olympiad (O2SN) for Special Education.

Marthen also expressed his appreciation to Kamino, the principal of SLB Negeri 1 Jayapura, and the teachers who have guided students to success at the national level. He said this accomplishment highlights the importance of support from educators in developing the abilities of children with special needs.

“Children with special needs have the same right to receive an education and develop their abilities in line with their individual potential, without discrimination,” he said.

He explained that several SLB graduates have gone on to study at universities, including those in Malang. Their achievements demonstrate that children with special needs can develop their academic abilities and pursue higher education.

“We therefore strongly encourage students to keep striving and developing their abilities. We also urge parents to give their children the opportunity to receive an education tailored to their needs,” Marthen said.

Marthen also emphasized that children who need special education services should have opportunities to attend school rather than remain at home. He noted that special education schools have educators trained to provide instruction tailored to students’ needs.

“Educators at special education schools are trained to support children with special needs, so we encourage parents to make use of the available facilities,” he said. ***