Talkabout – People with Special Needs (Part 3) : Education

Is the education system in Singapore capable of providing the right level of support to meet the demands of children who have a wide range of special needs? MP, Denise Phua does not think so.
In Part 3 of our debate on special needs we put the education system under the spotlight. Our panelists weigh in with their opinions on the local education system and how it can be improved to help kids with special needs.  June Webb, who runs her own learning centre, believes that the education system  in Singapore is too rigid and parents often feel powerless to help their children who have to conform to unrealistic standards. Parents can also feel intimidated, she said,  because they are afraid  to ask for special treatment  in case it may have the reverse effect.
The panelists also discuss the “Allied Education Scheme” a programme which trains ‘allied educators’ to help children with special needs in school. There is at least one  allied educator in every primary school  but Denise Phua feels that one is not enough and there should be a lot  more.
Denise Phua of Pathlight School believes that more work should be done between allied educators, psychologists and school authorities to close the gap between mainstream and special needs schools to remove the stigma. Denise and a team of specialists went around the world to study different school systems in the hope of finding one that could be adapted to Singapore’s environment.
One solution she came up with was to implement a school within a school system where special needs student could study within a mainstream school environment.
Tune in to watch the panelists share their experiences and opinions on education for special needs children in Singapore.
Host: Kenneth Liang
Speakers : Denise Phua Lay Peng, June Webb, Bervyn Lee, Leo Chen Ian, Jonathan Zhou, Lisa Barron, Koh SenG Choon

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