Continued education and training for special needs children above 18 years old

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr. Christopher de Souza, Holland-Bukit Timah GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education whether there are plans for continued education and training for special needs children after 18 years of age given their need for a longer period of education to gain the relevant life and vocational skills.

Response

1. MOE seeks to enable students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) to maximise their potential, and lead independent and meaningful lives.

2. The majority of students with SEN, who have the cognitive abilities and adaptive skills to access the national curriculum and mainstream learning environment are enrolled in mainstream schools, and progress to Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs).

3. Students with moderate to severe SEN require more intensive and specialised assistance, and are enrolled in Special Education (SPED) schools that offer a customised curriculum to support their diverse needs.

4. MOE has placed a Transition Planning Coordinator in each SPED school, who works with the graduating class form teachers and parents to develop an Individual Transition Plan together with each student. Families are helped to prepare and plan for meaningful post-school pathways, taking into consideration students' strengths and interests.

5. Students who are work-capable can participate in vocational programmes offered by SPED schools which lead to the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Skills Certificate (ISC) and the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ), to prepare them to join the workforce upon graduation. Students with the ISC or WSQ can also pursue further education and training at ITE and external vocational training centres. SPED schools have numerous tie-ups with businesses to offer internship opportunities to their students.

6. Work-capable students who require more time to be work-ready can be further supported through the MOE-MSF-SG Enable School-to-Work (S2W) Transition Programme where customised job training by SG Enable's job coaches provides up to two years of preparation and internships before eventual employment.

7. After graduation, Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) including SPED graduates can continue to pursue lifelong learning opportunities to acquire vocational skills, and to work and live meaningfully. PwDs can draw upon the broad-based SkillsFuture support provided for all Singaporeans. This includes course fee subsidies and SkillsFuture Credit for those aged 25 and above. In addition, PwDs can also tap on the Open Door Programme – Training Grant, which offers 95% course fee subsidy and a training allowance for PwDs attending SG Enable-approved programmes. SSG is also encouraging more training providers to customise courses to meet the skills and training needs of PwDs, including through the provision of grants.