Special Needs Schools Sprouting up They Cater for Expats, As Well As Singaporeans Put Off by Long Wait at Govt-Funded Schools

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The Straits Times www.straitstimes.com Published on Nov 7, 2011

Privately run special needs schools sprouting up They cater for expats, as well as Singaporeans put off by long wait at govt-funded schools

By Theresa Tan WHEN Mr Rob Steeman, 48, was offered a high-flying job in Singapore two years ago, he and his wife agreed that their decision to move would hinge on one factor: Can they find a good school for their three disabled children? The Dutch couple - who lived in the United States and Norway before coming to the Republic - know only too well the difference a good school can have on their children's well-being. Mrs Fedra Steeman, a 44-year-old housewife, said their eldest daughter, Solveig, 14, was unhappy at her previous school in Norway. The girl, who suffers from cerebral palsy, was getting little help from her teachers and could not read even though she has a 'normal intelligence'. Also temperamental was their second son, Kjell, 11, who suffers from autism and bipolar disorder. Meanwhile, their youngest daughter, Pippi, eight, who is also autistic, was not talking. The couple have two other children, Ingmar, 17, and Liv, 10. When the Steemans found the Genesis School for Special Education here, they packed their bags and came. Mrs Steeman, whose husband is a vice-president in a firm that produces solar panels, said: 'Genesis School is absolutely fabulous. Our children made such incredible progress there.' At Genesis, Solveig learnt how to read and is much happier. Pippi has learnt how to talk and Kjell has stopped throwing tantrums and now behaves like 'an angel'. To cater for expatriates like the Steemans, six private schools offering special education to children suffering from developmental problems, or with special needs, have sprouted up in recent years. These schools, registered with the Council for Private Education, have about 250 students in total. They are the St Clare School for Special Education, Genesis School, Divinity School for Especial Needs, St Gerard's International School, Integrated International School and Kits4Kids Special School. Under the law, these private schools have to meet certain standards, such as having qualified teachers, and are regulated by the council. Besides expatriates, these institutions also take in the children of Singaporeans who are put off by the long waiting lists at popular special education schools run by charities. For example, the wait for a place at Pathlight School, which caters for children with autism spectrum disorders, can be longer than a year. A Ministry of Education spokesman told The Straits Times that special education schools funded by the Government can admit foreign students, but only if there are no Singaporeans on their waiting list. Foreigners have to pay higher fees than Singaporeans, she added. Psychologist Vanessa von Auer, founder of the Integrated International School, started the institution in August after a few children she saw at her psychology centre were asked to leave their mainstream schools.

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They included a six-year-old boy who bit his teacher as he found his studies too difficult and an eight-year-old girl who would scream or hit herself whenever she was overwhelmed by the noise around her. St Gerard's International School opened its doors last year with just seven children. Today, that number has grown to 25. Besides children with special needs, the school also has normal students. About 80 per cent of the students at Genesis School are foreigners. It has an enrolment of about 70 now, more than 10 times the six children it started with in 1998. Despite not advertising, it gets a steady stream of students, some who come to Singapore just to study in the school. Its administrator Angie Tan said the presence of good special education schools is often a deciding factor for expatriates considering work here. Private schools take in children with all sorts of developmental problems, while the 20 special education schools run by charities here usually cater for children with a specific issue. Another key difference is their fees, which are significantly higher than those at schools run by charities. For example, fees come up to only $168 a year at the four schools for children with intellectual disability run by the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore, while Pathlight School charges $6,000 a year. By comparison, Genesis School charges $20,540 a year for its full-day programme and the Integrated International School has fees of up to $30,000 a year. Operators said running a special education school - for both charities and private companies - is costly. The more severely handicapped the students are, the more teachers are needed to assist them. The only difference is that schools run by charities are funded by the Government so their fees are heavily subsidised. For example, one teacher and two teaching assistants handle a class of up to eight students in Genesis School, while one teacher is in charge of four students at St Gerard's. At schools run by charities, class sizes are similarly small. For instance, one teacher manages three students at the St Andrew's Autism School. Despite the high fees, private operators interviewed said they are not in this business to make big profits. Ms Tan of Genesis School said: 'We are not running this school like a profit- making organisation. So far, we are only breaking even. Some years, we are in the black; some years, we are in the red.' [email protected]

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