Press Releases
MOE to Provide Greater Support for Special Education
To enhance the quality of education for special needs students, MOE will provide greater support in terms of recognition, resources and curriculum support for special needs students starting from 2010. There are four specific enhancements for students studying in the special education (SPED) schools, and one for students with mild learning disabilities studying in mainstream schools.
New School-based Awards for Special Education (SPED) Students
To recognise and encourage SPED students for their achievements and progress, MOE will provide funding to SPED schools to establish school-based awards from 2010. The awards will be given to students who are Singapore citizens. An annual lump-sum grant, based on the enrolment of its Singapore citizen students, from the Edusave Endowment Fund will be given to each school.
As the profile of SPED students and the type of curriculum offered across schools are very diverse, individual schools will establish their own criteria for the school-based awards. The school-based criteria would help schools to select students who best meet their school and student profile. For example, schools for the hearing impaired could focus on the child’s speech development. Other schools might focus on the students’ development of vocational skills. Schools could also give awards based on their students’ contribution to the school community, in areas such as leadership, exemplary behaviour, achievements in Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) or national events for persons with disabilities. Each school will determine the number and quantum of the awards.
Increase in Edusave Pupils Fund and Grant for SPED Students
To better support SPED students taking mainstream secondary curriculum and vocational education programmes, MOE will increase the Edusave Pupils Fund and Edusave Grant for these students from January 2011. Based on current rates, the quanta will be increased from $200 to $240 for the Edusave Pupils Fund, and from $50 to $90 for the Edusave Grant. SPED students can use their Edusave Pupils Fund to pay for school fees and enrichment programmes organised by schools. SPED schools can use the Edusave Grant to fund enrichment programmes or to purchase additional resources.
Enhancing Literacy in SPED Schools
SPED students need a firm foundation of literacy skills in order to learn, communicate effectively, and live independently. To enhance the teaching of literacy skills in the SPED schools, MOE will be introducing Reading Mastery, a Direct Instruction reading programme, to all SPED schools over the next few years. This is a highly structured reading programme characterised by explicit teaching (vs. learning through discovery). The programme uses a well-planned curriculum in which skills are taught systematically through detailed lesson plans. The teaching approach involves high teacher-student interaction and continuous reinforcement while learning.
The roll-out follows a successful pilot of the programme in seven SPED schools in 2009. Students with intellectual disability showed significant gains in their early reading skills after going through the reading programme. Teachers reported that students were more motivated to read and were more focused in general. Teachers also reported improvements in their teaching skills.
MOE will also work with SPED schools to pilot other Direct Instruction programmes to support the development of oral and writing skills.
Greater Opportunities for Integration between Children from SPED and Mainstream Schools
MOE will support more satellite partnerships between SPED schools and mainstream schools to provide SPED students with opportunities for meaningful interactions with their mainstream peers. This follows two successful prototype satellite partnerships by Pathlight School and Canossian School with mainstream schools. Such arrangements enhance the quality of learning experiences for children from SPED and mainstream schools, as well as facilitate better social integration.
Mainstream schools located near SPED schools will be encouraged to conduct joint social and learning activities through platforms such as the Community Involvement Programme (CIP), National Education Programme and CCAs.
MOE will also provide resources to support the conduct of satellite classes for SPED students in the mainstream schools. These resources include funds for setting up of satellite classrooms, and additional manpower in the form of an Allied Educator (AED).
Pathlight School, which has established satellite partnerships with Chong Boon Secondary and Townsville Primary, will also partner another mainstream school, Bishan Park Secondary, from 2010. The increased interaction will benefit its older students with autism who would eventually be able to transit into mainstream post-secondary institutions.
MOE will continue to study the satellite partnerships and expand good practices to other schools.
Support for Students with Mild Special Needs in Mainstream Schools
Beyond the SPED schools, it is also important to ensure that children with mild special needs in mainstream schools continue to be well supported. To this end, MOE deploys Allied Educators (Learning and Behavioural Support) [AED (LBS)] in mainstream schools and trains a proportion of mainstream school teachers in special needs.
By July 2010, all primary schools and 31 designated secondary schools will receive at least one trained AED (LBS), thereby meeting the 2010 target of 236 AEDs (LBS). MOE targets to recruit more AED (LBS) to meet longer term needs.
MOE is also on track to achieve its target of having around 10 percent of the teaching staff in all primary and secondary schools trained in special needs. MOE targets to train an additional 10 percent of secondary teachers, including JC/CI teachers, by 2012 to support the diverse learning needs of students with special needs and provide them with interventions related to academic learning.
MOE will continue to review and enhance support for students with mild special needs in the mainstream schools.