Lifelong Education for Students with Special Educational Needs

Mr Chairman, SkillsFuture, the movement to transform Singaporeans to become self-directed lifelong learners is growing from strength to strength. However, unlike the vibrant SkillsFuture scene for the typical workforce, the lifelong learning outlook for persons with special educational needs (SEN) is bleak. The prognosis of students exiting from the Special Education (SPED) pathway is not optimistic.

Official school years for SPED students now end at age 18 or 21. However, the reality is that the education of these students is not complete at the age of 18 or 21. Many of these students need to be schooled in literacy and numeracy or the mainstream academics that we know. But they also need time throughout life, to learn a host of skills that are often picked up more naturally by their typical peers – skills such as self-management, home and community living, sexuality education and skills on how to navigate in a VUCA world that is rapidly changing.

If we address this lifelong learning need well in a systematic and systemic manner, more of these students will take on regular or part-time employment to address the challenges of the shrinking local workforce. Even if they do not work, they can lead better quality lives requiring lesser support from others.

I have three recommendations for MOE.

Number one, set up a Skills Council for Persons with Special Education Needs. This Council should comprise MOE’s SkillsFuture and SPED units; SG Enable; Workforce Singapore, e2i and the top VWOs representing the major disability groups. It should develop a Lifelong CET System for Persons with Special Needs that will be regularly updated and extend the curriculum framework currently used during the SPED school years with a good balance of academic, vocational and life skills. Skills Council.

The second is appoint promising special schools with track records to set up training centres in their locations to provide the identified training solutions for SPED graduands in the major disability groups. Tap on the special schools’ existing ICT and classroom facilities and teaching workforce to facilitate the required trainings with partners from the community and industries. Start with regular part-time courses on a weekly basis. Make these CET centres financially viable through a revenue mix of Government grants, donations and fees.

Three, start small with SPED school alumni members. For a start, target alumni of special schools and their family care-givers including domestic helpers, who can help reinforce learnings after training.

In conclusion, the lifelong education of every Singaporean is critical; and even more so for persons with special needs who otherwise will definitely be left behind. The cost of not training this population is going to be far higher than equipping them. Let us continue to train and equip them for life. I seek MOE’s favourable response.

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Thank you. Chairman, I want to direct my questions to MOE. I want to thank Minister Ong Ye Kung. Thank you for finally slaying sacred cow of streaming, and of course, not without very good prior examination. He might not want to call it "cow" but I would just call it that. Slaying it is a very bold and wise move and I want to congratulate and commend the work of you and your team. So, thank you very much for that.

I want to ask if the Minister can consider also the other features that I have mentioned, for example, the Gifted Education Programme (GEP), which has been around for a while. I wonder if the Minister can comment if that is also a feature that can be examined and then relooked at. I think there is just merit to having students who are gifted academically to also mix with students who are taking subjects at G1 or the former Normal level. I believe it makes for very good social mixing. I wonder if Minister can consider that as well.

My second supplementary question is to Minister Indranee on the special education needs support in mainstream schools and IHLs. I truly appreciate what the Minister has shared. I know that in MOE, from Director down to the Allied Educators (AEDs), they have done a lot of work, and I want to honour what they do as well. But there are, indeed, real genuine capacity and capability issues that are felt on the ground. I wonder if we can study the issues first, and seriously look at how we can increase the number of AEDs and special needs officers, and overall support in both mainstream schools and IHLs. Also, to look at a proper skills-based training roadmap for them, because to deal with so many types of disabilities and that kind of numbers is really not easy. And at the IHLs level, because they are all quite autonomous, for the Ministry to consider resourcing and supporting them through a common platform where they can get together to share best processes and practices in order to make the efforts more effective and impactful. For your consideration, please.