PHILIPSBURG--Party for Progress (PFP) Member of Parliament (MP) Ludmila de Weever is calling for greater attention to special-needs support for children under the age of seven, saying a gap remains in the education and care system for young children with learning disabilities and other special needs.
De Weever raised the issue during the continuation of Parliament’s debate on the draft 2026 budget on Friday. She said each MP had received ab out 40 letters signed by parents concerning special-needs issues.
She said she had previously discussed the matter with the Minister of Education, but had not had an opportunity to address it publicly among MPs in detail because the issue was not covered extensively in the Minister’s budget presentation.
According to De Weever, the Minister had indicated that the special-needs policy needs to be expanded. However, she said the current education and care system does not adequately address children from birth to age seven who have learning disabilities or are considered to have special needs.
De Weever said this represents a significant gap that needs to be addressed as government works on the special-needs policy. She said families in the past often hid children with special needs because of traditional and conservative attitudes, while many children were placed in special-needs facilities that are not equipped to handle the level of special needs seen today.
De Weever noted that there is now greater awareness and acceptance of conditions such as autism and ADHD.
She asked for an update on the special-needs policy and whether the necessary funding is being included in the budget to make progress on it.
De Weever said special-needs support should be considered among government’s priorities and expressed concern that children could suffer if existing problems are not addressed.
She also questioned the priorities being set by government, saying she was concerned about creating an environment in which children could face additional challenges while existing problems remain unresolved.
