Speeches
Speech by Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Education at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) Graduation Ceremony on Saturday, 6 June 2009 at 3PM, at Spring Singapore Auditorium
Dr. Jimmy Daruwalla, President, Dyslexia Association of Singapore
Distinguished Guests, Graduands, Teachers and Parents
Ladies and Gentlemen
Boys and Girls
Good Afternoon.
Thank you for the warm welcome. It is my pleasure to join you today at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) Graduation Ceremony 2009 to celebrate the progress and achievements of the students graduating from the DAS learning programme. My congratulations to all the graduands today. You have worked hard and shown us that with determination and the support of your schools and DAS, you can overcome some of the challenges of dyslexia and succeed in school.
Support for Students with Dyslexia by DAS
I would like to commend DAS for their efforts to raise awareness of dyslexia in schools and the community. I am happy to note that with the synergy between DAS and the Ministry of Education since DAS’ inception in 1991, today more than 1,200 students with dyslexia are enrolled in DAS’ learning programme. DAS has indeed come very far, from having just one teacher in 1993 to 60 teachers, 12 psychologists and 2 speech and language therapists today. Over the years, DAS has built a strong professional reputation in the management of dyslexia with services that include teaching, assessment and diagnosis, training and support for parents and teachers. DAS has also been elected as a Global Partner of the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), and I believe this recognition will encourage DAS to continue to work towards achieving their mission of helping dyslexic people achieve.
New DAS Learning Centres
I am happy to note that since January this year, DAS has expanded its capacity by opening three new Learning Centres in Jurong, Woodlands and Tampines. This raises the total number of DAS Learning Centres to seven. To increase accessibility to students, these centres are located near MRT stations. This will enable more students to have easy access to DAS’ specialised remediation programmes and get the help they need.
Greater Financial Assistance for Students with Dyslexia
MOE has been supporting students with dyslexia by funding the intervention services for every child enrolled in the DAS specialised remediation programme. Currently, MOE provides DAS with an annual grant to fund their specialised remediation programme for mainstream students. In addition to the annual grant, students enrolled in DAS can apply for subsidies made available by MOE and DAS.
In view of the current economic downturn, starting 1st July 2009, MOE will enhance the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) for needy students who are enrolled at DAS learning centres. Depending on their family income, each needy student will receive an additional subsidy of $28 to $141 per month for their remediation at DAS learning centres. Overall, the revisions will cost MOE about $2.8 million over the next five years to provide more financial subsidy for students enrolled in DAS. I am sure this is welcome news, especially in the current economic downturn. We want to ensure that no dyslexic child will be hindered from accessing the DAS specialised remediation classes due to financial difficulties.
Support for Students with Dyslexia in Mainstream Schools
On our part, the Ministry of Education will continue to adopt a multi-pronged approach to support students with dyslexia in mainstream schools. First, all new teachers undergo a compulsory Special Needs module at NIE to develop a basic understanding of students with special needs. Second, some teachers in all schools undergo the Teachers trained in Special Needs (TSN) programme to be equipped with more advanced skills in special needs. This training will reach out to about 10% of the teachers in primary schools and 20% of the teachers in secondary schools. Third, to further enhance schools’ capacity, all primary schools will be resourced with Allied Educators (Learning and Behavioural Support), also known as Special Needs Officers, who work closely with teachers to provide learning support to students with mild special needs. Some designated secondary schools are already resourced with Allied Educators (Learning and Behavioural Support).
By working together as a team, parents, teachers, Allied Educators (Learning and Behavioural Support) and DAS will be able to ensure that the best help is extended to students with dyslexia.
Inspiring Role Models
Some of your friends who are graduating today are good examples of students who have overcome some of the challenges of dyslexia with the help they receive from schools and DAS.
I would like to make a special mention of Tan Chu Hui, a Year Two student from NorthLight School. She started attending the DAS learning programme at the Bishan Junction 8 Learning Centre in 2006. With the help she received from DAS and her school, Chu Hui made commendable improvement in her literacy skills, and is now a more fluent reader. She is better able to cope with the literacy demands in school and has even scored 100% in her school’s Mathematics examination. Chu Hui is a hardworking girl who constantly shows strong perseverance and much self-motivation. Alongside her academic progress, Chu Hui has found renewed confidence in her other talents and abilities which include batik and ceramic painting, and cooking. Chu Hui hopes to set up her own bakery one day, and she certainly deserves our encouragement and praise.
Another student that I would like to commend is Jai Ramanathan who is from Tanjong Katong Primary School. Jai attends the DAS learning programme at the Bedok Learning Centre. Initially Jai faced many challenges, both in terms of his learning and motivation towards school work. However, with help from his DAS teacher and his school, over time, Jai has blossomed to become a student who has overcome his literacy difficulties and made impressive progress. His teacher at the DAS learning centre shared that he is an inspiration to her to do her very best to help other dyslexic students, and she is very proud to be part of his transformation.
Conclusion
Before I end, I would like to encourage all the boys and girls here to remember that with effort and determination, you will be able to surmount many difficulties and succeed in life. You do not have to face the challenges of dyslexia alone; your parents, and teachers in school and in DAS are here to help you.
There are many role models among you. I am heartened to read in the DAS newsletters many stories about dyslexic students who have benefited from good intervention, and with the help of their families, schools and DAS, achieved excellent results in national examinations. For example, it is heart-warming to read about Lim Si-En, who started going for the DAS learning programme when she was in Primary 3, and initially had to get additional practice to help her learn the letters of the alphabet and pronounce sounds correctly. With hard work and determination, Si-En overcame her difficulties, developed a love for reading and did very well in the 2008 PSLE, where she obtained an aggregate score of 252!
Another inspiring story is that of Cheah Xian Pin, who in Primary 1 started school having difficulties learning his ABCs and a low self-esteem. Xian Pin completed his specialised remediation at the DAS Ang Mo Kio Learning Centre after his PSLE and continued to apply the good reading skills and habits that he had acquired. Xian Pin is now a Year 5 student in Anglo-Chinese School (Independent). For his GCE O-level last year, he did very well, scoring six A1s and an A2 for English Language! Each of these role models teaches us that if we persevere, all of us can indeed overcome our difficulties and achieve good success.
Once again, my congratulations to you and your parents, and I wish you every success in your future pursuits.