Sekolah Semangat Maju Ipoh

With the inspiration and aspiration of a far sighted man, Mr. D.K. Rajakarian, a teacher, a bold step was taken to start a school for these children. With the help of the then, “The Malayan Council for Child Welfare of the Perak Branch”, a residential school for the mentally retarded was started on the 3rd of November 1966. This was the first of its kind in Malaysia as existing special education schools elsewhere in Malaysia did not have hostel facilities. It started with only two students at a rented premise at Kampong Kepayang, Ipoh. His Royal Highness, the Sultan of Perak then, Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah II, was invited to officiate the opening of the school.

Lack of pedagogue in special education and financial support, took its toil on the school. The Rotary Club of Ipoh under its then President, Mr. E.B. Carlos came to its rescue and the “Perak Association for Retarded Children” was formed on 11th May 1967. The school with firmer support began to develop. Public support came in gradually and more people sent their special children to our school. Special curriculum was set up and volunteers from the Overseas British Volunteers Corp and the American Peace Corp came to help us. The school was on its way to progress.

When the “Malayan Council for Child Welfare” became defunct in 1978 and the Social Welfare Department, Perak requested the “Society for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, Perak”, to manage the school.

The Old Folks Home in Kampong Tawas fell vacant and the Ipoh Welfare Committee generously donated the ‘Four-blocks of Old Wooden Buildings’ in Kampong Tawas to the school. The place was overgrown with lalang and the wooden buildings were in an appalling state of despair. After volunteers had done some renovations and repairs, the school moved into this new premise on November 1971. This is where Sekolah Semangat Maju Ipoh stands today.