SPEECH BY MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF PATHLIGHT SCHOOL ON SATURDAY, 13 NOVEMBER 2004, AT 1030 AM AT PATHLIGHT SCHOOL

Mdm Ho Ching, Advisor to the Autism Resource Centre,

Mr Yew Teng Leong, Chairman of Pathlight School Management Committee,

Ms Denise Phua, Supervisor of Pathlight School and President of the Autism Resource Centre,

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning

           It is my pleasure to be here at this wonderful event, the  opening of Pathlight School.

In a short four months, a very passionate and driven group of parent volunteers and professionals has made this school possible. I commend you for your hard work and vision. We only have to listen to the testimonies of the students, teachers and families, that were shared a moment ago, to know that something special is being achieved here. Because of the efforts of the Pathlight community, and that of other voluntary bodies who help children with special needs, Singapore is a warmer place and a home for hope.

Supporting Special Education

2.                Through education, we want to help every child develop and make the most of his talents. No matter what his aptitudes, talents or learning styles, we want to help him become the best that he can be. That’s why we are continuing to refine the education system so as to provide all students with a good education – not only those who fit in and do well on the typical route of academic progression, but also those who learn differently.

3.                To do this, we have to be able to spot and cater to different learning styles, and the earlier the better. We have to customise teaching and learning to the talents or special needs of the individual wherever we can, both within a school or by providing specialised teaching outside the regular school.

4.                We are putting more resources into special education. As announced by Prime Minister Lee recently, MOE is setting aside $220 million over the next four years to improve the quality of education for children with special needs.

Enhancing Infrastructure for Special Schools

5.                This funding will enable us to improve the quality of professional resources and infrastructure for special education schools. It will include the building of a new special education school to cater to growing demand from children with autism. MOE is working with NCSS and the Autism Association, Singapore to start this new school.

6.                We are increasing MOE’s contributions for the development costs of SPED schools, and will accelerate the construction of purpose-built SPED schools. We will also enhance the specifications for special school buildings.   MOE has reviewed the types of facilities that can be provided for special schools, and will include additional facilities as part of the standard specifications for new special schools. This could include a fitness station and indoor playing area, and a sensory integration room to cater to the multi-sensory learning needs of children with special needs. These additional facilities will I am sure raise the quality of education we provide to children with special needs in Singapore.

7.                MOE will also give schools more flexibility in deciding how to use the additional space provided to them. We will extend the School White Area (SWA) concept to special schools. The School White Area model allows for facilities to be shaped according to the preferences and emphases desired by the school. It was   introduced under PRIME in 2001 for mainstream schools.  

8.                With the School White Area concept, our special schools will have the flexibility to decide on the types of facilities that meet the different therapy and instructional needs of its children, depending on their special needs or disabilities.  

Co-location with Mainstream Schools

9.                We would also like to create more opportunities for interaction between students from SPED and mainstream schools. One way in which we will do this is to encourage and facilitate the co-location of these schools where possible.

10.            Currently there are three special schools that are planned for co-location with mainstream schools. One of these is the new Pathlight School, which will be built next to Townsville Primary School in Ang Mo Kio Ave 10. Although the new building will only be ready in 2008, I am greatly encouraged that the two schools, though still physically apart, have already put in place activities to facilitate interaction between their pupils and staff.

11.            Co-location and proximity makes interaction convenient, but it is not the only factor driving opportunities for interaction between pupils from mainstream schools and special schools.  I am happy to know that Pathlight School has partnered five mainstream schools to organise joint activities, share facilities and develop closer relationships amongst both pupils and staff.

12.            These collaborations have I’m sure been useful at the professional level. Rulang Primary has assisted in the induction of Pathlight teachers, giving them a better understanding of mainstream education. Townsville Primary School and Ang Mo Kio Secondary School keep Pathlight School updated on curriculum and examinations matters, and include its staff for their school-based training and sharing of best practices.

13.            Pupils from Townsville Primary, Ang Mo Kio Secondary and Pathlight School celebrate festivals and National Day together, while Pathlight pupils use ACS (Junior) for CCAs, especially bowling. Chong Boon Secondary has allowed Pathlight pupils to use its canteen for recess, and will extend this to sharing use of their science lab, design and technical room, and home economics room next year, when Pathlight School begins to offer a secondary curriculum.

14.            These are good opportunities for our students to learn   about each other. They also instil in all our students the care and concern for others that we want to promote in the wider society. We hope to see more of such relationships between mainstream schools and the other special schools. The benefits for our children will I am sure flow in both directions.

Providing Resources   in Mainstream Schools

15.            In addition to improving the quality of education in special schools, MOE recognises that children with mild to moderate learning disabilities can benefit from being schooled in regular, mainstream schools. As announced by the Prime Minister in September, MOE will be deploying dedicated staff to designated mainstream schools to support children with mild to moderate levels of dyslexia and autism (ASD). This is an important step in the support of children with autism or dyslexia who can benefit from mainstream schooling.

16.              The special needs officers that we will deploy to mainstream schools can contribute in a variety of ways. Depending on the needs of the students, they may, for example, provide specialist remedial lessons to students in small groups, or complement regular teachers within the class.

17.            We will pilot this initiative in some schools in 2006. We will progressively build up the number of designated schools for autism to a total of 20 primary schools and 12 secondary schools by 2010. A similar approach will be used to support children with dyslexia in our mainstream schools. MOE will set aside $15.5 million every year for this initiative.

18.            In addition to these dedicated staff who will be recruited and trained to support students with dyslexia and autism (ASD) before being deployed to the schools that will be designated for the purpose, we will also invest in training mainstream teachers in how to support special needs in general in their respective schools. This will allow us to better identify students with special needs, such as ADHD or speech and language difficulties, and give them support in the school.  

19.            There will in time be a wider range of learning opportunities available to children with autism, with special schools catering to more severe cases of autism and designated mainstream schools providing support for those with mild or less severe cases of autism. For some of the pupils here at Pathlight School, the designated mainstream schools could possibly be stepping stones towards their inclusion in mainstream schooling. MOE is committed to working with Pathlight School to facilitate the transition of these pupils. 

20.            MOE will also continue to work closely with our schools and parents on the early identification and support of autism in our schools. Our Educational Psychologists assist in identifying pupils with autism, and provide training and advice to teachers on appropriate classroom strategies to manage and teach pupils with mild to moderate autism. MOE also collaborates with MOH and MCYS to facilitate the transition of pre-school pupils with autism spectrum disorder into Primary 1. These efforts are aimed at preparing parents, the child and the school for the child’s integration into mainstream. 

Conclusion

21.            In the years ahead, MOE will continue to work with the National Council of Social Service and volunteer groups, like the ARC, to enhance the quality of special education and help integrate children with special needs with the rest of society.

22.            Your contributions are reflective of our “many helping hands” approach, involving the family, the community and the government working hand in hand and complementing each other to better support children with special needs.

23.            While MOE is providing more resources for the special education sector, the energies and  passion of the volunteers and the community that supports a special school is what gives it its character and spirit.

24.            Together, we can make a difference to students with special needs. We can develop in each of them the desire to succeed, and to stand shoulder to shoulder with other members of society. 

25.        I congratulate Pathlight school on coming so far within a short space of time. I wish you every success in your efforts to maximise the potential of your pupils and help them enrich their lives.