SINGAPORE: A workgroup involving the public and private sectors will be set up to help make pre-schools more inclusive, Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee announced on Wednesday (Apr 10).
The workgroup will study and develop recommendations for pre-schools to support children with moderate to severe developmental needs in a move to make them more inclusive, the Ministry for Social and Family Development (MSF) in its media release.
AdvertisementThe Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) will also oversee early intervention services for pre-schoolers, taking over from its parent ministry, MSF, progressively from July this year.
These initiatives build on efforts announced in January this year by Mr Lee to make early intervention services more affordable and customised to each child's needs, MSF said.
The workgroup will study the experiences of centres which serve children with moderate to severe developmental needs, to develop approaches that may be extended to more pre-schools, MSF said.
“This will also give typically developing children in more pre-schools the opportunity to gain greater understanding and appreciation of children who may be different from themselves,” a spokesperson said.
AdvertisementAdvertisementDevelopmental needs refer to developmental conditions ranging from physical issues to sensory issues and cognitive issues to learning needs without accompanying disabilities.
The workgroup will be co-chaired by MSF's Senior Parliamentary Secretary Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim and National Institute of Education Dean for Education Research Kenneth Poon.
Having ECDA oversee pre-school services and early intervention services is expected to improve coordination of early childhood development and support services, MSF added.
“Having these services under ECDA will give the agency a holistic view of the learning and developmental needs of all children under the age of seven,” MSF said.
All early intervention services, which help children with skills like social communication, speech and language and handwriting, will come under ECDA by 2020.
The Disability Office within the MSF currently oversees the provision of early intervention services and works with partners like hospitals and Voluntary Welfare Organisations to detect developmental needs in children early.
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