On Students with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools
SPEECH ON MOE COS ON SEN (SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS) STUDENTS IN MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS
By Denise Phua
Singapore has made great stride in its support for students with SEN; thanks to the Government and citizen support. Although much has progressed, there is a need to further strengthen the educational support for these students. For students with physical and sensory disabilities, i.e., the blind, deaf, and hard of hearing, there is little excuse to not do good for them; given the well-established best practices available worldwide.
Today, I will focus on the learning support needed by students now commonly identified as ‘neurodiverse.’ And I thank experts from Unlocking ADHD, Dyslexia Association of Singapore, Autism Network of Singapore for their insights.
Neurodiversity is an umbrella term used to describe a wide range of differences in the way one thinks and processes information. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia are common types of neurodiversity. They often struggle with traditional educational systems that fail to meet their unique learning and social needs. They may be at higher risk of being victimized in schools by bullies. Those who are from lower income households often get diagnosed and receive intervention much later, leading to increased vulnerability. However, with appropriate training and support, neurodiverse students can offer valuable talents and perspectives in education and work settings.
Improvements have been made in MOE schools over the past two decades, with the introduction of SEN officers, trained school teachers, learning support programmes and resource packages, and the Special Education Fund for tertiary level students. Nonetheless, there are still gaps in meeting the needs of these students. Calls have made for better equipping of teachers, SEN officers, and parents through more enskilling workshops, cluster-based parent support groups, communities of practice, and to extend the SEN Fund to post-graduate programmes.
I request the MOE to:
provide updated data on the number of students with SEN, the support structure, and SEN support staff strength at all educational levels – primary, secondary, JC, ITE, and other IHL levels;
share insights into the challenges it is facing in this space; and
share how it might partner key disability groups such as DAS, Unlocking ADHD, SPARKS, Autism Resource Centre, Rainbow Centre, and others, in the ForwardSG spirit, to build a shared future together for this community.