Debated in Parliament on 15 Jan 2019.
Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar asked the Minister for Education over the past five years (a) what is the annual number of cases related to mental health issues reported to the Ministry involving (i) primary school students, (ii) secondary school students and (iii) post-secondary students; (b) how many have been diagnosed through referrals made by mainstream schools or the Ministry; and (c) how many have made requests for special provisions for examinations or other assessment-related issues.
Speaker, mental health issues occur in a variety of forms and severity levels. Some students remain undiagnosed due to lack of awareness or prefer not to disclose their condition for various reasons. Further, as medical diagnoses are confidential, schools and institutions may not be kept informed of the outcome following a referral. It is, therefore, difficult to determine the precise number of students diagnosed with mental health issues.
Mental health issues are on the rise internationally. The World Health Organization projected that mental illness rates will continue to increase. Students are particularly vulnerable as they grapple with significant social, emotional and physical transitions in their growing up years. Having said that, most do not develop mental health issues but need support, especially from their families, for personal issues.
Schools and post-secondary institutions also provide support to students regardless of whether they have a specific diagnosis. Our teachers and lecturers are equipped to look out for students in distress, provide timely support, and refer them to school counsellors for additional support where necessary.
On the separate issue of Access Arrangements for examinations, over the last five years, the annual number of applications for Access Arrangements across the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) and GCE-level examinations that have indicated conditions, such as anxiety and depression, is very small, at between 0.1% and 0.2% of the cohort.
We are monitoring the levels of stress and taking systematic steps to take care of students’ well-being and strengthen their resilience. We are also working closely with parents to raise awareness on mental health, so as to encourage early identification and increase help-seeking for their children.
Dr Intan Mokhtar.
Speaker, I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the answers. I have two supplementary questions. Can I check whether the Ministry makes provisions for extra time for students who are diagnosed with conditions, such as anxiety or depression, when they take their examinations, very much like that for students who are diagnosed with dyslexia, for example? The second question is whether the Ministry would also consider alternative assessments, such as regular assignments rather than a one-time pen and paper test or examination, for such students who are diagnosed with mental health issues.
Sir, I thank the Member for the questions. Indeed, we take on a case-by-case approach in the cases that we come across. We want to see how we can help the students as much as possible, and that is what we do for the Access Arrangements which I have shared earlier. It also includes working with professionals and specialists, and we take on the advice from the specialists on what would be the best approach to provide that educational experience to the children. So, we will take in the Member's feedback and, at the same time, we will continue to help as many people as possible.
Order. End of Question Time.
[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), provided that Members had not asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn, written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix.]
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