Cabaran projek tanaman cendawan sebagai asas transisi kerjaya keusahawanan agro kepada Murid Berkeperluan Khas Bermasalah Pembelajaran (Challenges in the mushroom project as a basis of career transition of agro-entrepreneurship for Special Needs Pupils with Learning Difficulties)

Abstract

Pandangan masyarakat yang rendah dan menghadkan peluang Orang Kelainan Upaya (OKU) untuk diintegrasi dalam organisasi pekerjaan menyebabkan mereka berada dalam kancah kemiskinan. Golongan ini perlu diberi pendedahan seawal pendidikan formal bagi membina kemahiran vokasional, terutamanya aspek keusahawanan. Pendedahan ini bakal membentuk jati diri, sikap berdikari serta sifat keusahawanan agar mereka berupaya meneruskan kerjaya sebagai usahawan yang berdaya saing. Bagi merealisasikannya, Program Transisi Kerjaya (PTK) dalam bidang keusahawanan agro melibatkan kolaborasi Pihak Berkuasa Pelaksanaan Koridor Utara, Pertubuhan Peladang Kawasan (PPK) Seri Pulau, Pulau Pinang dan sekolah-sekolah terpilih di Pulau Pinang diusahakan. Program ini memfokus kepada Murid Berkeperluan Khas (MBK) Bermasalah Pembelajaran (BP) dalam Program Pendidikan Khas Integrasi (PPKI). Sokongan utama daripada pihak pentadbir sekolah, guru dan ibu bapa amat penting terhadap kelangsungan program ini. Persoalannya, trend penyertaan oleh pihak sekolah kurang memberangsangkan, malah terdapat sekolah yang tidak meneruskannya lagi. Oleh itu, kajian dilakukan untuk menilai cabaran yang dihadapi dalam mengusahakan projek cendawan kepada MBK BP ini. Reka bentuk kajian kualitatif dijalankan terhadap 14 informan melibatkan guru Pendidikan Khas di 14 buah sekolah PPKI yang terlibat dengan projek cendawan. Terdapat beberapa cabaran yang menjejaskan program ini antaranya kurangnya sokongan pihak pentadbir, guru tidak diberi latihan sewajarnya dan kurangnya sokongan ibu bapa. Selain itu, penyediaan infrastruktur yang kurang sempurna dan peruntukan modal turut memberi cabaran kepada kelangsungan program transisi kerjaya ini. Sokongan padu daripada pihak berkepentingan dilihat berupaya mengembangkan PTK ini. Selain membuka ruang pekerjaan sebagai agropreneur kepada golongan OKU, program ini mampu menjana ekonomi negara melalui sub sektor industri cendawan.

Kata kunci: bermasalah pembelajaran, keusahawanan agro, murid berkeperluan khas, pertanian lestari, projek cendawan, transisi kerjaya

Being looked down upon by the society as well as limiting the opportunities for Disabled People (OKU) to be integrated into job organizations, have caused them to be living in poverty. This group needs to be exposed from as early as the formal education to develop vocational skills, especially in the aspect of entrepreneurship. This exposure is an attempt to develop self-identity, self-reliance and entrepreneurial nature, so that they can pursue a career as a competitive entrepreneur. In order to realize this, a career transition program with regard to agro-entrepreneurship involving collaboration between the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA), Pertubuhan Peladang Kawasan (PPK) Seri Pulau, Pulau Pinang and selected schools in Penang, has been developed. This program focuses on MBKs with Learning Difficulties in the Integrated Special Education Program (PPKI). Key support from school administrators, teachers and parents is imperative to the vitality of the program. The question is, the participation trend by schools is not as encouraging, and there are even schools that have discontinued it. Therefore, the study has been conducted to assess the challenges faced in the development of the mushroom project for the MBKs with Learning Difficulties. A qualitative study design was conducted on 14 Special Education teacher informants from 14 PPKI schools involved in the mushroom project. There were several challenges that had compromised this program, which included lack of support from administrators, teachers were not given proper training and lack of parental support. Apart from that, poor infrastructure provision and capital allocation also pose a challenge to the sustainability of this career transition program. Solid support from stakeholders is seen as capable to develop this career transition program. In addition, to opening job opportunities as an agripreneur to OKUs, this program is capable of generating the country's economy through the mushroom industry sub-sector.

Keywords: learning difficulties, agro-entrepreneurship, special needs pupils, sustainable agriculture, mushroom project, career transition