ABSTRACT
Singapore is a young nation with no more than fi ve decades since its independence in 1967. However, in this relatively short period, it has made tremendous economic progress and now boasts of being one of the countries with the highest per capita incomes in the world. Students in the Singapore educational system have also consistently topped international comparison studies of mathematics and science achievement (e.g. Gonzales, Williams, Jocelyn, Roey, Kastberg, & Brenwald, 2008). Perhaps one contributing factor to the recent educational success is the examination-driven education system with the Ministry of Education (MOE) maintaining strong infl uence over the curriculum (Tan & Gopinathan, 2000). As in all countries, not all children in each cohort perform well educationally. Depending on studies, it is estimated that between12 to 15 per cent of children aged 3 to 17 have a diagnosis of a developmental disability (Boyle et al., 2011). Recent Singapore estimates place the proportion identifi ed to 3.2 per cent of preschoolers diagnosed with developmental disabilities (Steering Committee on the Enabling Masterplan 2007-2011 [EM07], 2007a). In terms of school-aged children, about 1.2 per cent or about 4,800 attend special schools. Thirty-nine percent of these students are diagnosed with autism and multiple disabilities, 52 per cent of students have an intellectual disability, 3 per cent of students have a sensory disability and 5 per cent of students have a physical disability (Tan, 2011). Understanding the gap between international and local estimates requires an
empirical investigation which is beyond the scope of this paper, but there is suffi cient information to understand how these children are supported in Singapore. In this paper, we seek to present how education is provided for children with disabilities in Singapore. What are its gaps? Taking Rainbow Centre Singapore as a case study, we seek to discuss how educational service provision for children with disabilities may be provided by a collaborative partnership between the government, VWOs, and community. In particular, strategies for enabling this relationship will be discussed, as will be challenges encountered in the process.
