Primary and Secondary Schools Supported by Roving Student Welfare Officers

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Education (a) how many (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools are supported only by roving student welfare officers (SWO); and (b) in each of the past five years, what is the total number of primary and secondary school students supported by the roving SWOs.

Mr Chan Chun Sing: Student welfare officers (SWOs) support students who are absent from school for prolonged periods of time, those with brushes with the law and under probation, or under child protection. Roving SWOs were introduced in 2022 to serve schools without a school-based SWO and with a lower level of such needs. In 2022, there were seven roving SWOs supporting some 100 students across 40 primary and secondary schools.