Singapore Government Media Release

Media Division, Ministry of Information and The Arts,

140 Hill Street #02-02 MITA Building, Singapore 179369.

Tel: 837 9666

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SPEECH BY DR ALINE WONG, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE FOR EDUCATION, AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF AESN DELTA SENIOR SCHOOL AND TANGLIN SPECIAL SCHOOL ON 27 MAY 2000 AT 9.00 AM AT 20 DELTA AVENUE

 

 

 

Mr Tan Ju Seng President of the Association for Educationally

Subnormal Children (AESN)

Dr Dixie Tan, Supervisor, AESN Schools

Mr Koh Guan Hoe, Principal, Delta Senior School

Mr Yong Soo Cheng, Principal, Tanglin Special School

Parents, teachers, boys and girls

 

 

 

I am happy to be invited to the opening of Delta Senior School and Tanglin Special School. My heartiest congratulations to AESN for your latest achievement in setting up Tanglin Special School and re-organising your programmes to cater to the changing needs of ESN children. Tanglin Special School and the new vocational training programme provided by Delta Senior School represent another milestone for AESN. From your humble beginning in 1970 of 2 classes, you have now 5 schools for ESN children. This indeed demonstrates your commitment and dedication in serving the needs of ESN children. I commend you for your contributions to special education in Singapore.

Special Education has a special place in the overall education system, which aims to develop our children to their potential. SPED schools provide an appropriate environment where the children with special needs can develop at their own pace and be nurtured to realise their potential. It is in SPED schools like yours that the needs of these children are best met. Here they are provided with specialised programmes and IEPs, drawn up according to the pupils’ needs, taught by specially trained teachers and supported by paramedical professionals. MOE is supportive of all your efforts and will continue to provide financial assistance, infrastructure and professional support. The recent provision of computers to your schools is part of the on-going support of my Ministry.

However, the quality of education is more than all the hardware which is provided. Our special needs children will also have to find their place in the fast changing economy. How successfully they can cope will depend on how educators, parents and community respond to this change. New and better ways in teaching and training, better-structured programmes and new skills will have to be incorporated into your instructional programmme.

For our special needs children to become integrated members in our society, the VWOs and the SPED schools should strive to work with the community in organising social interaction activities. Parents too have a part to play and should take every opportunity to expose their children to social interaction with their peers and the community. I am confident that the SPED schools will rise to the challenges of the times and prepare the pupils to find their place in the fast changing world.

What is currently done in Delta Senior School (DSS) demonstrates AESN’s desire and commitment to help the pupils find that place in our society. DSS has evolved from being a workshop, housed in the old premises of Katong Special School, providing pre-vocational training for pupils aged 16 and above, to a senior school today, providing continuing education and pre-vocational training. As part of continuing education, pupils in DSS are taught the various modules of WISE and BEST and prepared for the examinations. Mr Koh, principal of DSS, reported that between 1998 and March this year, the school had achieved 94 passes for the WISE English modules, 16 for the WISE Mathematics modules, 267 for the BEST English modules and 317 for the BEST Mathematics modules. I was also told that 107 pupils have been placed into open employment. This is indeed a great achievement and I share in your pride that you have been able to develop the pupils to their best potential.

My special congratulations to Winston Tan who passed his BEST and WISE programmes and is currently preparing for his ‘N’ level while being trained in office skills. Another worthy of mention is Lim Fook Hong who is attending a 2 –year diploma course at The Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. Their continuing education shows their determination to make the best of their area of strength. May I wish both of them every success.

Those who had gone into open employment, I am told have adapted well and some have become model workers. I am sure many more will be successful as the school continues to provide relevant programmes and training. These successes will surely inspire the rest of the pupils to overcome their disabilities and to strive and succeed.

The challenge ahead for all of you will be how to harness the potential and abilities of your pupils for their economic well being and to train them to function effectively in this changing new environment. I have no doubt that you will be able to meet this challenge.

I congratulate the AESN School Management Committee for responding to the demand for places by opening Tanglin Special School. I am happy to announce that 2 other voluntary welfare organisations, the Metta Welfare Association and the Presbyterian Community Services, have come forward to set up schools for ESN children also. These 2 additional schools will become operational next year and will be sited one in the east (Metta Welfare) and the other in the West (Presbyterian Community). As their purpose-built schools would only be ready in about 3 – 4 years time, the 2 schools will be temporarily housed in vacant school buildings. MOE will continue to work in partnership with NCSS and the community to meet the demand for places in the special schools. I am sure, together with AESN, the Metta Welfare Association and the Presbyterian Community Services will work together in providing appropriate education and training for the ESN children in our community.

On this note, I am happy to declare open Delta Senior School and Tanglin Special School.

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