Chan Chun Sing on support and benefits for special education teachers

Could all special education (SPED) school teachers be brought under the ambit of the Ministry of Education so that they receive the benefits of being an MOE teacher? Answering that question from NMP Shahira Abdullah in Parliament on Tuesday (Sep 13), Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said he is open to exploring a new model, but with conditions to consider whether it would be better and more appropriate than the current one. These conditions include delivering better outcomes for SPED children and support for their families, better training opportunities and professional development for SPED teachers, and better continuum of care and support from preschool through to post-school. Mr Chan gave details of existing MOE support for SPED teachers who are hired by social service agencies which run SPED schools. These include progressive frameworks to support teacher retention and career development based on MOE’s own frameworks, as well as funding for manpower costs and training of SPED teachers.