By Jamie Ee Wen Wei

Not all schoolchildren get to enjoy PE classes.

Take the case of Dheepan Lachumanen, a Secondary 1 student at Pioneer Secondary School. Born with arthrogryposis, a rare birth defect which affects the joints, he has to sit out physical education sessions.

This is something that the Society for the Physically Disabled (SPD) is trying to change.

It has produced a handbook which will be made available to all mainstream schools to help teachers learn how to include such students in all manner of school activities.

It was launched yesterday by Minister of State for Defence Koo Tsai Kee at the society's Education Programme Awards Presentation ceremony at HortPark.

It has information on types of disabilities and tips on how the curriculum and environment can be modified to serve those affected.

Mr Tan Kah Teo, 60, principal of Evergreen Primary School, which has six physically disabled pupils, said: 'The book is very timely and useful. Our teachers need to learn how to handle these children because they can be quite fragile physically.

'We also want to be inclusive and try our best to get everyone to join in the school activities.'

In her speech, SPD president Chia Yong Yong said the society hopes to partner with the Singapore Disability Sports Council this year to train PE teachers to modify lessons.

An SPD survey in July last year showed the 46 per cent participation rate of primary and secondary students with physical disabilities in PE lessons was the lowest, compared with other class lessons.

Yesterday, the SPD also gave out $124,000 in bursaries to 157 beneficiaries.

This year, it introduced a scheme where disabled students and disabled parents of students will get an additional $300, in the form of an SPD Service Card, to pay for therapy and enrichment classes in SPD. Said Prof Koo: 'It is commendable that SPD has strengthened and enlarged its area of help to serve the needy disabled who are more likely to be affected than the rest by the economic crunch.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times on February 01, 2009.