Proposal for Government to Increase Funding for Special Education Schools
Ministry of EducationSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns a proposal for the Government to increase Special Education (SPED) school funding and expand means test criteria to help families manage the expenses of children with special needs. Minister for Education Ong Ye Kung responded that SPED schools are funded at significantly higher levels than mainstream schools and that funding is reviewed regularly with the National Council of Social Service. He highlighted that the SPED Financial Assistance Scheme, which covers school fees, textbooks, and transport, had its income eligibility criteria revised in 2018 to benefit more families. Minister for Education Ong Ye Kung also noted that schools are provided with discretionary funds to support students who do not meet the scheme's standard criteria. The Government continues to work with Voluntary Welfare Organisations to ensure that educational costs do not act as an impediment to accessing SPED schools.
Transcript
57 Mr Ong Teng Koon asked the Minister for Education whether the Ministry will consider increasing Government funding for Special Education (SPED) schools in order to expand the means test criteria for the scheme so as to help families cope with the educational expenses of raising children with special needs.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Government funds Special Education (SPED) schools at significantly higher levels than the mainstream schools, so that they can meet the different and unique learning needs of their students. MOE also reviews funding for our SPED schools regularly with NCSS, taking into account manpower costs and the requirements of different special educational needs.
Over the last few years, overall government funding for SPED schools have increased steadily, as funding per student is raised and more students are diagnosed with Special Educational Needs (SEN). Today, Government subsidises a substantial proportion of the cost of educating a student with SEN.
Notwithstanding, the cost burden to lower income Singaporeans with children with SEN is still significant. To support them, we have a SPED Financial Assistance Scheme, which covers school fees, textbooks, uniforms and transport subsidies. Students on the scheme SPED FAS also qualify for the School Meals Programme, which subsidises the cost of meals in school. We had revised the income eligibility criteria for the scheme in 2018 so that more low income families would benefit. Schools are also provided funds to exercise discretion and extend support to those who some reason do not meet the eligibility criteria for SPED FAS.
The Government will continue to work closely with the parent Volunteer Welfare Organisations (VWOs) running our SPED schools, to ensure that cost is not an impediment to access SPED schools.