Special Needs Children of School-going Age
Ministry of EducationSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the number of children with special educational needs (SEN), their enrollment status, and the accessibility of specialized school placements in heartland locations. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked about student numbers and the efforts taken to ensure every child has a school place appropriate for their specific disability profile. Minister for Education Ong Ye Kung stated that as of December 2017, there were 30,000 SEN students, with 80% in mainstream schools and 20% in 19 Special Education (SPED) schools. He noted that while most SPED schools are located in heartlands and new campuses are planned, specialized care for specific disabilities often necessitates centralized rather than neighborhood centers. The Minister highlighted that progress is being made to ensure all children receive early intervention and placement in schools catering to their specific needs.
Transcript
21 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Education (a) how many special needs children of school-going age are there currently; (b) how many of these children are enrolled in a school; (c) whether schools with places for special needs children can be made more accessible in heartland locations; and (d) what is being done to ensure that each child has a place in a school appropriate for the child's specific needs.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: As at December 2017, there were 30,000 students with a reported Special Educational Need (SEN). About 80% of them are in mainstream schools and 20% are in Special Education (SPED) schools. Many children with SEN obtain a diagnosis during their preschool years – usually at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) and the National University Hospital (NUH) Child Development Centres – and a majority of them benefit from early intervention.
Today, the 19 SPED schools are geographically spread across the island, with most SPED schools in heartland locations, such as Ang Mo Kio, Hougang, Jurong West and Yishun. Three additional SPED school campuses have started operations this year and additional SPED school campuses are being planned.
Amongst the 19 SPED schools are those that focus on the needs of students with a specific disability profile, as well as those which serve a range of disabilities. For example, a student with moderate to severe cerebral palsy would attend the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (CPAS) school, a student with moderate to severe intellectual disability as well as autism could attend a Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) school, and a student with multiple disabilities and autism could attend a Rainbow Centre school.
Because the number of students with a specific SEN is not large, many are best served by central and specialised centres. This means that it may not always be possible to find a suitable SPED in the neighbourhood. That notwithstanding, over the years, we have made good progress towards ensuring that each child with SEN is able to attend a school that caters to his needs.