MOE to increase capacity of Special Education schools

An additional 300 places will be added starting next year, bringing the capacity of Pathlight School to 900 by the end of 2013.

This was announced by Mr Heng Swee Keat, Minister for Education, during his visit to Pathlight School. The former Chong Boon Primary School located near to Pathlight School at 6 Ang Mo Kio Street 44 will be refurbished to accommodate the additional students.

The expansion of Pathlight School is part of the continual effort by the Ministry of Education to meet the needs of children with special needs and to enhance the learning environment in Special Education schools. Metta School, a vocational school which caters to children with intellectual disability and autism, will be able to take in another 150 students from 2013 after its new extension block is completed at the end of next year. Delta Senior School, another vocational school for students with intellectual disability, will also be moving to its purpose-built premises at Choa Chu Kang Grove next year.

The increased capacity in SPED schools will enable students with moderate learning disabilities to benefit from the more specialised programme in a SPED school. Some of these students are currently in the mainstream schools. The waiting time for enrolment into an appropriate SPED school will also be reduced.

The refurbishment and infrastructure upgrading to expand capacity in the three SPED schools – Pathlight School, Metta School and Delta Senior School – cost about $30 million. This is in addition to the $120 million that MOE has invested in building and upgrading the other 17 SPED schools in the past decade.

MOE has also been supporting SPED schools in terms of funding, financial assistance, staff training, curriculum support, and staff and student recognition. The Ministry will continue to adopt a “Many Helping Hands” approach to meet the varied and complex needs of students with special needs. It will work closely with the parents, and with Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, community partners such as the National Council of Social Services and Voluntary Welfare Organisations, to continue to improve the quality, accessibility and affordability of the SPED schools.

Ms Sim Ann, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Law, will lead a review on the support for the SPED sector. She has begun consulting with stakeholders and will continue to do so over the next six to nine months, to identify areas for further improvement.