SPECIAL SCHOOLS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

SPECIAL SCHOOLS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

3.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan asked the Acting Minister for Education (a) what is the total number of (i) special schools for the disabled in Singapore; (ii) students in these schools; (iii) the hearing impaired students; and (iv) autistic students; and (b) what is the

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number and percentage of students with disabilities who get transferred to normal schools each year for the last 3 years (2001, 2002 and 2003) and the levels at which they are transferred.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: There are 20 special education (SPED) schools run by voluntary welfare organisations. The SPED schools offer programmes customised to meet the needs of children according to the type and level of disabilities. As at January 2004, the total enrolment in the 20 SPED schools was 4,241 of which 235 pupils have hearing impairment and 526 have autism.

In the last 3 years, a total of 133 pupils were transferred from the SPED schools to mainstream schools. (Ref Table 1).

Table 1: SPED School Pupils Transferred to Mainstream Schools (2001-2003)

Year: |

No. of Pupils: |

Percentage of Total Enrolment of SPED Pupils: |

Level Transferred to: ---|---|---|---

2001

|

28

|

0.68

|

Sec 1: 13

Pr 1: 15

2002

|

54

|

1.24

|

Sec 1: 35

Pr 1: 15

Pr 2: 3

Pr 4: 1

2003

|

51

|

1.21

|

Sec 1: 23

Pr 1: 22

Pr 2: 3

Pr 3: 1

Pr 4: 1

Pr 5: 1