DPM Gan Kim Yong at A Very Special Celebration 2024

Ms Denise Phua, President of Autism Resource Centre and School Supervisor from the Pathlight School Board,
Board members of Autism Resource Centre,
Members of Pathlight School Management Committee,
Ms Linda Kho, Principal, Pathlight School,
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls

I want to thank all the volunteers and the Organising Committee for their hard work. Let us give them a round of applause.

I am very happy to be invited to this 20th anniversary celebration.

Pathlight has really made a very important and positive impact on our children and youths with special needs, and on Singapore’s overall education system.

This is the first autism-focused school in Singapore to offer a unique blend of mainstream academic curriculum and life readiness skills and provides its students with a holistic education through programmes in Art, IT and Dance. Many of you watched the children’s dance performance just now, let us give them another round of applause.

Pathlight has also initiated the School Partnership Model, for students from the Special Education and mainstream schools to interact and integrate regularly. This prepares Pathlight students for a smoother transition to Institutes of Higher Learning. At the same time, it raises awareness on autism in the community.

Pathlight is an excellent example of what we can achieve when the Government, the private sector, and the community come together and work together for a common cause.

I want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the School Board, the Autism Resource Centre (ARC) board, the management and teachers, as well as like-minded community and corporate partners, who have contributed to Pathlight’s success.

In particular, I would like to recognise Ms Denise Phua. Denise is a very dynamic and motivated volunteer who works very hard in the community for many needy people, especially those with special needs. But we also need the whole group of volunteers. Please join me in thanking them for their volunteerism. All of us are here to have fun but they have worked day and night for many, many months to make this happen. They deserve another round of applause.

Even as we celebrate Pathlight's 20 years, the journey continues, it never ends. I am pleased to hear that ARC will be expanding its services to empower more individuals on the autism spectrum to have a better quality of life. For instance, ARC will be scaling up its residential programme, which was piloted in 2022, to equip more individuals with independent living skills so that they can live in the community more independently.

The Government will also build an inclusive Singapore, where everyone – including those with special needs – can flourish and thrive.

MOE continues to work closely with the social service agencies to ensure quality and affordable Special Education for our students. We are doing more to ease the out-of-pocket expenses for families of children with special needs. At MOE’s budget debate this year, it was announced that the maximum monthly fees at SPED schools will be lowered, together with the fee caps at all Special Student Care Centres.

MOE has also rolled out the SPED Teaching and Learning Syllabuses (TLS) to guide schools in the design and delivery of a curriculum that is centred on students’ interests and abilities. For example, the Social-Emotional Learning TLS teaches students to develop positive behaviours and healthy relationships, and skills of self-determination such as making choices and setting goals.

We will continue to do more to support persons with disabilities across all life stages. SG Enable launched the first Enabling Services Hub in 2023 – in Tampines – to bring disability support services closer to homes and will launch two more of such Hubs by 2025.

Through working with community partners, we hope to create inclusive neighbourhoods and strengthen support for adults with disabilities and their caregivers, especially those who are no longer receiving active services.

SG Enable also launched the first Enabling Business Hub in 2023 – in Jurong – partnering employers, training providers and social service agencies, to bring job opportunities closer to persons with disabilities in the West.

But we cannot do this alone, we need partners. And families are an important partner in this journey – you are a key pillar of support to your children. The private and people sectors can also contribute. Denise mentioned that UOB employs people with disabilities. In fact, since 2013, UOB has increased its employment of people with disabilities by six-fold – from 5 to 30. Let us give them a round of applause. Many other private organisations are similarly employing individuals on the autism spectrum. This includes Singapore General Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Gardens by the Bay.

It truly takes a village to build an inclusive society. Once again, I want to thank everyone for your efforts and your partnership in building a better Singapore.

Congratulations Pathlight and ARC on the school’s 20th anniversary!

Thank you.