Debated in Parliament on 22 Feb 2023.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry tracks the available vacancies and number of applicants waiting to enrol in Special Education schools; (b) if so, what is the current (i) total number on the waiting list and (ii) average wait before enrolment; and (c) whether there are plans for more of such schools in the South West district of Singapore.
There are currently 22 Special Education (SPED) schools that cater to different profiles. The Ministry of Education (MOE) regularly reviews the demand for SPED school places and works with Social Service Agencies to provide sufficient capacity to cater to the needs of specific student profiles. Most applicants have a confirmed place within three months of submitting an application. However, the processing time can extend to six months if more assessment by professionals is required.
Some families choose to waitlist their child at a specific SPED school because of parental choice for certain schools or home-school proximity. To safeguard the educational interest of these children, MOE will engage parents to consider placing their child in other suitable schools in the interim.
The number of students with Special Educational Needs is expected to grow over the next few years. To meet projected demand, there are plans to have an additional six schools, i.e. 28 SPED schools by the 2030s. In the South West district, there are currently four SPED schools, and following MOE's recently announced plans, there will be five SPED schools in the district ensuring a good geographical spread of SPED schools.
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