SINGAPORE: Three new special education schools for students with autism spectrum disorder with intellectual disability (ASD-ID) from mid-2026, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Tuesday (Mar 3).
The additions will bring the total number of SPED schools serving students with this condition from 13 to 16. MOE will partner three social service agencies – APSN Education Services, the Autism Association, and St Andrew's Mission Hospital – to set up the new schools.
One of the three schools, run by APSN Education Services, will operate from an interim site in the northeast region of Singapore from the second half of 2026, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education Syed Harun on Tuesday.
The announcement was part of MOE's broader spending plans for the year, aimed at addressing rising demand for SPED places among students with ASD-ID.
The ministry said the number of students with ASD-ID is growing, and it is planning ahead to meet projected demand while ensuring schools are accessible across Singapore's geographical spread.
Singapore currently has close to 9,000 SPED students, with those diagnosed with ASD-ID making up a significant proportion.
The new measures announced on Tuesday are intended to support 30 per cent more students with special education needs, or about 12,000 students in the early 2030s.
At present, most students are placed in SPED schools within six months to a year of assessment, depending on their needs.
Three existing SPED schools will also get additional campuses to help meet demand.
The additional campuses of MINDS Fernvale Gardens School and MINDS Lee Kong Chian Gardens School will operate from interim sites in the east and central regions of Singapore from the second half of 2026.
From 2027, MINDS Towner Gardens School will gain an additional campus at an interim site in the east, while MINDS Woodlands Gardens School will relocate to a larger interim site, also in the north, the same year.
Efforts are also underway to secure permanent sites for existing SPED schools catering to a range of disability types, said Dr Syed Harun. Among the schools in line for permanent premises are Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School (West), Grace Orchard School and Maitri School.
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The additions will bring the total number of SPED schools serving students with this condition from 13 to 16. MOE will partner three social service agencies – APSN Education Services, the Autism Association, and St Andrew's Mission Hospital – to set up the new schools.
One of the three schools, run by APSN Education Services, will operate from an interim site in the northeast region of Singapore from the second half of 2026, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education Syed Harun on Tuesday.
The announcement was part of MOE's broader spending plans for the year, aimed at addressing rising demand for SPED places among students with ASD-ID.
The ministry said the number of students with ASD-ID is growing, and it is planning ahead to meet projected demand while ensuring schools are accessible across Singapore's geographical spread.
Singapore currently has close to 9,000 SPED students, with those diagnosed with ASD-ID making up a significant proportion.
The new measures announced on Tuesday are intended to support 30 per cent more students with special education needs, or about 12,000 students in the early 2030s.
At present, most students are placed in SPED schools within six months to a year of assessment, depending on their needs.
EXISTING SCHOOLS TO EXPAND
Three existing SPED schools will also get additional campuses to help meet demand.
The additional campuses of MINDS Fernvale Gardens School and MINDS Lee Kong Chian Gardens School will operate from interim sites in the east and central regions of Singapore from the second half of 2026.
From 2027, MINDS Towner Gardens School will gain an additional campus at an interim site in the east, while MINDS Woodlands Gardens School will relocate to a larger interim site, also in the north, the same year.
Efforts are also underway to secure permanent sites for existing SPED schools catering to a range of disability types, said Dr Syed Harun. Among the schools in line for permanent premises are Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School (West), Grace Orchard School and Maitri School.
Continue reading...