Enhancing Support for Special Needs Education and Potential Use of Assistive Technologies

Mr Sharael Taha asked the Minister for Education (a) as the number of students diagnosed with special educational needs (SEN) increases, how does the Ministry plan to enhance the capacity and competency of the education system to support them; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider leveraging technology, such as autocorrect and voice-to-text tools, to aid SEN students like those with dyslexia.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) has been enhancing school resourcing and building competencies in teachers to better support students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in both mainstream and special education (SPED) schools.

Students with SEN who can cognitively access the national curriculum and adapt to a mainstream learning environment are supported in our mainstream schools.

The number of SEN officers in mainstream schools has increased from around 450 in 2017 to about 680 as of July 2024. These specialised personnel provide learning and behaviour support to students and equip them with learning tools and strategies.

All teachers have been trained to have at least a basic understanding of SEN and capabilities to support students through inclusive classroom practices. Five to 10 teachers in every mainstream school have attended a 130-hour course and are designated as Teachers Trained in Special Needs. They have deeper expertise and can share effective pedagogical practices with other teachers to support students with more complex needs.

MOE’s Educational Psychologists regularly visit schools to provide consultation and advice to build schools’ capacity to support students with SEN.

Students with more severe needs who cannot be supported in our mainstream schools attend SPED schools. The Government spends more on education for each SPED student compared to mainstream school students, and further enhancements were announced at the Committee of Supply 2024 to strengthen SPED resourcing and capabilities building. MOE works closely with the Social Service Agencies running SPED schools to review the provision and training of teachers and allied professionals.

Technology is a key means by which MOE and our schools support teaching and learning for all students, including those with SEN. MOE provides funding for assistive technology devices for students with SEN in mainstream and SPED schools. The Singapore Student Learning Space has artificial intelligence (AI) and non-AI enabled features that support accessibility, such as video and audio transcriptions and text-to-speech feature. To better customise learning for students with diverse needs, AI-enabled feedback assistants and adaptive learning systems have also been progressively rolled out.

MOE will continue to monitor technological developments and adopt what is useful and appropriate to support the teaching and learning of all students, including students with SEN.