Minister Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for Social and Family Development and Tampines Grassroots Advisor,
My Parliamentary colleagues, MOS Baey Yam Keng,
SPS Eric Chua,
And SPS Syed Harun,
Mr Kang Puay Seng, Chairman of Pathlight School Management Committee,
Ms Denise Phua, President of The Autism Resource Centre (Singapore) [ARC] and Pathlight School Supervisor,
Board Members of ARC and Pathlight Schools,
School Leaders, Staff, Caregivers, Students,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Opening – Welcoming Pathlight to the East
2. Good afternoon! I am delighted to join you at the official opening of Pathlight School (Tampines). And congratulations to the community of Autism Resource Centre (Singapore) and Pathlight Schools on this important milestone.
Over Two Decades of Excellence
3. Pathlight's journey began in 2004, with 41 students and 4 teachers, driven by the belief that children with autism can learn through a national curriculum in a customised setting. Fast forward to today, Pathlight serves over 2,000 students, fondly known as Pathlighters, across two schools, supported by dedicated educators, therapists, and job coaches, with the strong support from parent volunteers, community and corporate partners.
4. Pathlight has also achieved many breakthroughs and firsts.
- You are the first autism-focused school to offer the national curriculum together with structured life-skills development and vocational training.
- You pioneered the satellite partnership model that evolved into today's partnerships between 29 General Education (Gen-Ed) and 24 Special Education (SPED) schools.
- You introduced the first commercially viable Artist Development Programme, enabling students to make a living with their talents, and to thrive and be recognised for it. Some of their works are incorporated into merchandise sold by the social enterprise, The Art Faculty. In fact, many of my colleagues and I give out gifts from The Art Faculty to guests that hail from many countries.
- You also created inclusive worksites within your school. Professor Brawn, with branches in both Pathlight Schools, is much more than just a café. It prepares students for work, builds confidence in them and enables them to see their future
5. Through these efforts, you have enabled students with autism to excel, opening doors not just for Pathlighters, but for the broader SPED community in Singapore.
A New School in Tampines to Prepare Our Students to Be Future Ready
6. Today's opening of Pathlight School (Tampines) will benefit families in the East, serving students from primary through secondary levels.
- For example, Pin Liang, a Primary 4 student, previously spent an hour on the school bus to travel to Pathlight (Ang Mo Kio). Now, with school much closer to home, his commute time is halved, allowing him to wake up later. He has also learnt to travel independently by public transport. I'm sure that many other students will similarly benefit from the proximity
7. Pathlight School (Tampines) will offer quality academic pathways, life readiness training, and development of vocational skills in an environment purpose-built for our students with autism.
- The school features a dedicated daily living skills room for students to practise essential life skills like cleaning, preparing simple meals and home management
- The inclusive playground opening next year will help students develop vital social skills, such as sharing, taking turns and interacting with the wider community.
8. This school also offers specialised facilities for training and innovation.
- The school café features a technology-enabled cooking system, allowing students to learn advanced food production technology, developing essential digital skills for tomorrow's workforce.
- Pathlight's corporate partner, SATS, helped establish the East-West Culinary Training Kitchen, due to open soon, where students receive training in Western and Asian cuisines, opening pathways for them to careers in the culinary industry.
Community in the East
9. The community in the East has warmly embraced the school. Teachers from Junyuan Primary School, Pathlight (Tampines)'s mainstream school partner, have had professional discussions with Pathlight staff to strengthen the teaching of national curriculum subjects through autism-friendly approaches. They also created meaningful opportunities for students from both schools to interact during recess and other activities. The two schools share a common border, that border is porous, and there are always people moving to and fro, and we hope to encourage that across Singapore too.
10. Samantha, a Primary 5 student from Junyuan Primary School, shared candidly that she was initially apprehensive about meeting students from Pathlight, but soon found that they had much in common while folding origami and playing games. Students from both schools have become friends, with Samantha planning to stay in touch with her Pathlight friends.
11. Students and parents from St Hilda's Primary School also contributed generously, by donating books to enrich Pathlight (Tampines)'s new library.
12. Many other organisations have warmly welcomed Pathlight into the community. Grassroot organisations, for instance, invited students to participate in Chingay and other events, while officers from the Tampines Neighbourhood Police Centre worked with the school to strengthen student safety in the community. I'm sure Minister Masagos, MOS Baey, will take good care of Pathlight (Tampines) in the community.
13. Social inclusion benefits everyone and makes for a more compassionate, empathetic and understanding society where everyone can contribute their strengths and everyone can see their strengths.
The Next Chapter – Building a Network of Excellence
14. Pathlight is preparing for its next school in the Punggol Digital District, extending its reach to the north-east of Singapore. Pathlight School (Punggol) will feature facilities designed for the 21st century, including flexible classrooms for technology-enabled learning and real-world training spaces.
15. At MOE, we will continue to expand the SPED school network. We will work with schools to strengthen curriculum implementation, teacher training and leadership development efforts. We will also deepen collaboration between SPED and General Education schools to build a more inclusive education system.
16. MOE, MSF and SG Enable, will continue to strengthen support for SPED students to transition to post-18 options tailored to their interests and abilities. As part of this effort, MSF and MOE announced the expansion of the School-to-Work Transition programme and enhancement of the ITE-SG Enable Internship and Employment Support programme earlier this year. We will also continue to work with community and corporate partners to strengthen transition planning and handover, vocational training, and employer partnerships.
Closing
17. As we celebrate the opening of Pathlight School (Tampines), we are reminded that Pathlight is a beacon of opportunity and hope.
- To our students: this is where you can excel and shine.
- To our teachers and school leaders: thank you for being our students' guiding light.
- To caregivers and partners: thank you for your support, trust and partnership.
- To our community and corporate partners: thank you for embracing Pathlight and helping to bring the school's curriculum to life.
18. May Pathlight (Tampines) nurture many bright lights for Singapore's future.
19. Thank you.