Stefanus Lucas

“Focus on the ABILITY, not disability” is the guiding principle for Stefanus Lucas, a passionate music educator for special needs students. Despite having no prior experience in special education when he was first assigned to a special needs school, Stefanus was determined to give his best to his students.

Working with children who have visual and hearing impairments as well as learning disabilities, he empowers his pupils to lean into their capabilities regardless of their diagnoses. He is most notable for his creative teaching methods which involve hand puppets, toys and folklore to make classes more accessible and enjoyable. One of his proudest innovations employs egg cartons to explain music theory essentials – note values, staff, and rhythm – to those with visual and hearing impairments.

Stefanus’ commitment to education has earned him the titles of Resident Expert at the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Special Educational Needs (SEAMEO SEN) 2024/2025, Top 90 Finalist for the Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards 2024, and Top 5 Finalist for the Malaysia Teacher Prize 2023. Under his leadership, his students have also achieved remarkable success such as 1st Prize at the Mexican Carnival International Festival Online Competition 2023, the Silver Diploma at the European Championship of Folklore “Euro Folk 2022”, and 2nd Place at the South East Asia Disability’s Talent Challenge 2020.

With a fierce determination to shatter social prejudices,  Stefanus’ ‘Suara Kami @ Our Voices’ project provides the platform for his students to showcase their talents and express themselves confidently, growing them to their full potential.

As a teacher, making an impact isn’t just about teaching but, more importantly, how we touch our students’ lives in various ways. Our students may advance in learning, especially with everything available at their fingertips, and they might forget what we’ve taught them, but they will never forget how we treated them. To them, I am not just a teacher, but a parent and friend.