Percentage of Students in Mainstream Schools Diagnosed with Special Education Needs

Mr Sharael Taha asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the current percentage of students in mainstream primary and secondary schools who have been diagnosed with special education needs; and (b) how have the teachers and such students been coping with the alternative assessment arrangements.

Today, 6.9% of students in mainstream primary and secondary schools, or around 27,000 students, are reported to have Special Educational Needs (SEN).

Depending on the severity of needs, students with SEN may be granted Access Arrangements (AA) when they sit for examinations. The provisions help to reduce barriers for students with SEN to demonstrate their knowledge and skills, so that they can be fairly assessed. Examples of AA include the provision of extra time, use of assistive technology, and exemption from specific components of an examination.

The Ministry of Education and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board work closely with schools, parents, medical and/or allied health professionals to monitor and review the students' needs. Schools also use school-based assessments to check if the AA are appropriate in addressing specific barriers faced by students. Schools observe that students with SEN are able to make use of these provisions to better access their examinations.