TTOWARDSOWARDS HHOLISTICOLISTIC DDEVELOPMENTEVELOPMENT Annual Report 2011 - 2012 Mission & Vision Statement 02 Objectives & Profi le 03 Executive Committee (Offi ce Bearers) 04 Committees & Representatives for 2011 / 2012 06 President’s Message 08 Reports of Committees / Sub-Committees Schools Management Committee 10 APSN Centre for Adults Management Committee 11 Admissions and Review Sub-Committee 12 Audit Sub-Committee 13 Professional Support Staff Advisory Sub-Commitee 13 Editorial & Publicity Sub-Committee 14 Finance and Investment Sub-Committee 15 Human Resources Sub-Committee 16 Information Technology Sub-Committee 17 Activities and Programmes Association Highlights 21 APSN Centre For Adults 29 Contents Delta Senior School 31 Tanglin School 35 Katong School 37 Chaoyang School 39 Financial Statements 43 - 68 List of Association’s Awards 69 Staff Members 70 Members 77 Acknowledgements 78 1 Objectives • To cater to the educational and vocational needs of persons with mild intellectual disability. • To enhance the opportunities for the said persons to lead independent, dignifi ed lives in society • To initiate, promote and stimulate research into their challenges and conditions. • To create and develop awareness of and educate the public on the needs of those with intellectual disability. Mission • To assist and advise parents or guardians on choices and challenges relating to the education and development to the said persons. To equip persons with special needs, through • To encourage parents or guardians of the said persons to form groups and associations for mutual assistance and co-operation on matters relating to the said persons. best practices in education, training and support • To raise funds, to purchase and own properties and to sell or alter or convert such properties for these services, for open employment and life-long purposes. learning, in partnership with our stakeholders and the community Registered Address 900 New Upper Changi Road Singapore 467354 Charity Status Charity Regn No : 0121 Vision Charity Regn Date : 30 Nov 1984 To be the premier organization that develops Constitution individuals with special needs to their fullest Date of Establishment : 12 Dec 1975 ROS Regn No : ROS 217/75 potential so that they can lead dignifi ed, fufi lling UEN : S75SS0058K and independent lives as integral members The Association is an approved institution of society of a public character under the Singapore Income Tax Act Cap 134. IPC Status Effective Date of IPC : From 01 Oct 2007 – 30 Sep 2012 A Full Member of National Council of Social Service Auditors RSM Chio Lim LLP 3 Executive Executive Committee Offi ce-bearersCommittee Members President Mrs Rose Ng Mrs Ruby Cheah Dr Francis C. Chen PBM, BBM Vice-Presidents Mr Anselm Lopez Dr Victor Tay PPA (G) Mr Tan Ju Seng Mr Chan Chee Keong PBM, BBM PBM Hon Secretary Hon Treasurer Asst Honorary Treasurer Mr Anthony Tan Mrs Kristin van Burm Assoc. Prof Mohan Menon Mr Winston Wong Mr Royce Seah Mr Bill Bowman Ms Tin Wai Fun Mrs Margaret Goh 4 5 Committees & Representatives For 2011/2012 Mrs Janet Fong Committee Members Ms Jovial Teo SCHOOLS Mr Gwee Sze Chuan Mr Bill Bowman INFORMATION Ms Lim Jia Ying PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT Mr Lee Bon Kwe Mrs Ruby Cheah TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT STAFF Mr Lee Chuan Bee Mr Chinnu Palanivelu Ex-Offi cio COMMITTEE Mr Anselm Lopez A/P Mohan Menon SUB-COMMITTEE Mr Kenneth Tham ADVISORY Assoc Prof Mohan Menon Mrs Rose Ng SUB-COMMITTEE Ms Barbara Seng Chairman/Supervisor Mr Lee Chiang Huat Chairman Mr Xu YouQing Dr Francis C. Chen Mr Seah Chang Kai Royce Dr Victor Tay Kah Soon NOMINATIONS Chairman Dr Francis C Chen Hon. Treasurer Ex-Offi cio Ex-offi cio SUB-COMMITTEE Members Mr Wong Teng Kay Winston Mr Kenneth Tham Mr Kenneth Tham Mr Quek Keng Oei Members Chairman Mr Chan Chee Keong Secretary Staff Member Mr Tan Cheen Chong Staff Member Dr Francis C. Chen Mr Anselm Lopez Mdm Aslinah Binte Ahmad Mr Wiiliam Tng Mr Tan Kar Peng Mr Leong Kwang Meng Ms Jovial Teo Mr Winston Wee Committee Members Committee Members Ms Lim Jia Ying Ms Zuliyah Bte Lalkhan Mr Chan Chee Keong Mr Chan Chee Keong Mrs Choo Swee Gek HUMAN RESOURCES EDITORIAL & Ms Daisy Yeo Mr Tan Ju Seng Ex-Offi cio Ms Kristin Van Burm SUB-COMMITTEE Mr Patrick Aw Mr Kenneth Tham (and A/Prof Mohan Menon PUBLICITY Ms Too Poh Eng Ex-Offi cio Honorary Social Worker) Mdm Michelle Ong Sim Hwee SUB-COMMITTEE Mr Philip Li Mr Kenneth Tham Mrs Liza Ow Lai Peng Chairman Ms Ng Run Qian Mrs Margaret Goh Ms. Tin Wai Fun Mr Rick Lim REPRESENTATION ON Dr Victor Tay Kah Soon Chairman / Editor Mr Dennis She-Tu Mdm Lisa Choy Fong Yee Members Dr Francis C. Chen AUDIT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS Mr Kong Yew Kee (MOE Representative) Ms. Amanda Chuan SUB-COMMITTEE Ms Kristin Van Burm Secretary Mr Kalvin Hoe Asian Federation on Ex-Offi cio Ms Seet Chor Hoon Mr Ziqi Koey Ms Hnin Yar Intellectual Disabilities Mr Kenneth Tham Mr Jeffrey Kwek Chairman (AFID) Executive Board Mr Royce Seah Ex-offi cio Mr Bill Bowman Reporters Dr Francis C. Chen Mr Adrian Chan Mr Kenneth Tham Mr M K Wong CFA MANAGEMENT Ex-offi cio Ms Kimberly Cheah Committee Members Mr Kenneth Tham Mr Chinnu Palanivelu Ms Jennifer Lee Children’s Charities SUB-COMMITTEE Mr Erik Vledder Ms Prisca Ng ADMISSIONS Association Staff Member Mr Jerome Prakash Assoc Prof Mohan Menon Mr Chua Kah Tian Mr Royce Seah Chang Kai Mr Chan Chee Keong Chairman Ms Nurhahisdah Bte Mokhtar AND REVIEW Ms Tay Bee Bee A/Prof Mohan Menon Mr Chan Chee Keong Ms Zuliyah Bee Bte Lalkhan SUB-COMMITTEE Singapore Disability Sports Adviser Staff Member FINANCE & Photographers Dr Francis C.Chen Ms Josephine Lee Council INVESTMENT Ms Jennifer Lee Chairman A/Prof Mohan Menon Dr Francis C. Chen Hon. Treasurer SUB-COMMITTEE Mr Kelvin Yong Mrs Rose Ng Mr Ziqi Koey Special Olympics Singapore Members A/Prof Mohan Menon Members Chairman Ex-offi cio Dr Danny Soon Ms Jennifer Lee Mr Nigel Chia Mr Wong Teng Kay Winston Mr Kenneth Tham Ms Nolita Bte Noordin 6 7 President’s Message provider of special education. There are so many issues which are clouded in befuddled thinking. Taking the disability itself, as Sir Ken Robinson noted, “the problem of disability is not so much the disability itself, but the way others treat the condition or situation”. Then what about special education? This is precisely so-called because it has to be differentiated and distinguished from the mainstream education. Here, innovativeness, ingenuity, relevancy, inclusiveness, supporting professional services, are all ingredients for a successful framework catering to special needs children. To what extent have we progressed? or retrogressed as a result of some unintended policy change? If we assume Dr Francis C. Chen that we have embarked on a vocational training programme costing $50 millions, and after 5 years of such training only If one has been involved with a voluntary welfare organisation 5% of the students pass with the requisite Certifi cate, isn’t for as long as I have, since before the offi cial inauguration of this testimony that the system is inapplicable to our type of APSN in 1976 (i.e. for 36 years), one wonders why this is so. students? If only 2 out of 46 in a class get the Certifi cation, this In my view the need is obviously there: is this altruism or is cannot be described as a colossal success, quite the contrary. this gluttony for punishment ? For anyone with this length of Such an outcome would require a re-examination of the tenets. tenure on the Executive Board, it is only natural to have received It is hoped that MOE in its re-examination of policy, will not adopt praises and brickbats. Refl ecting on the problem, the basic a blinkered approach. cause celebre for one’s continued involvement is the sense that the mission one has set out to do is never completed. We So long as the Association is saddled with the task of providing run special education services to children and youth who are special education, and vocational training and job placements mildly intellectually disabled -- shouldn’t this be the role of the for the older youth, APSN has to position itself to meet the Government, rather than volunteers? In most if not all Western challenges. I have dealt with the problem of governance, countries and advanced countries elsewhere, the Government and latterly the problem of Board renewal and rejuvenation. runs such special educational schools directly, not by proxy, not Measures and plans have been introduced to address both by getting the volunteer movement to do it. In the earlier years of these large issues. Others such as recruitment and retention of Singapore’s independence, it could be argued that Government staff, especially professional support staff, are on-going During had other important priorities -- such as national economic the year we have had a new person taking over as CEO, and survival. Therefore VWOs had to “chip in” in order to get special mentoring such a person is also a large responsibility. educational services going for the intellectually disabled, as with other disability groups. But as we noted in a letter which we Finally, to all the unnamed friends and supporters and well- wrote to the Prime Minister on our 30th Anniversary, the time has wishers, parents and staff, I owe a debt of gratitude for your come for Government to take charge of special education as part hard work, help and contributions. The funding received of the national educational policy. To say that the Government from MOE, MCYS and NCSS has been crucial, and gratefully is already funding handsomely the recurrent budgets of special acknowledged.