What Singaporeans Do Not Know About Inclusive Education

Hanis Jazil
Jul 21, 2017 · 2 min read
Caption: Primary One Student, Lucas has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and goes to a normal school for an inclusive education.

Singapore’s efforts to create an inclusive environment for children with special needs has been gaining attention islandwide, especially when Minister of Education, Ng Chee Meng said that all children with special needs who are above six years old and below 15 are required to attend school.

This has caused challenges for some teachers like Mr. Khusairi, 70, a senior adjunct teacher in Yio Chu Kang Primary School who has experienced difficulties in customising lessons for students with special needs that range from autism to muscular dystrophy, who are required to participate in physical activities at normal schools as part of a nation-wide initiative.

He said, “There will always be a divide between normal students and students with special needs. For example, if a student has a problem with psycho-motor skills, not every child will feel that it is fair or even fun to engage in competitive play. I have to remind them that it is always important to play and learn together because when we play together, we learn things differently and this enables us to see things more clearly and this contributes to spontaneous thinking.”

Notably, this has led Singaporean parents to consider about placing their children in the same school as children with low to moderate special needs and rethinking the value of an inclusive education.

Eunice, 26, a spatial designer said, “Personally, I have no prior experience in interacting with people with special needs when I was going through my education and I feel that this is an opportunity for Singaporeans to develop empathy in the workforce because empathy helps to build understanding and trust between co-workers.”

However, children with moderate to severe special needs are exempted from compulsory education and can seek support from specialised teachers and professionals also known as Allied Educators. There are over 20 special education (SPED) schools that are either privatised or government funded to assist underprivileged families.

Alan Tan, 33, an SPED teacher said, “We have cases where parents want to withdraw their children from SPED schools and place them into mainstream schools and there are still cases where these children are still not ready to cope with societal demands.”

However, the regulation in SPED schools holds that all students will strictly leave at the age of 18. Graduated students that find it difficult to integrate with society are placed in sheltered workshops where adults supervise them in doing simple jobs in a factory environment.

(Published on 11 September 2016 for a Newsroom Module @ The Bounce Singapore)

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