1. Three Special Education (SPED) teachers and four SPED schools have been recognised for their outstanding contributions in the education of students with special needs. This is the eighth year that the Ministry of Education-National Council of Social Service (MOE-NCSS) awards are being presented.
The Outstanding SPED Teacher Award
2. Three teachers received the MOE-NCSS Outstanding SPED Teacher Award (OSTA) for their passion, dedication and commitment in providing a well-rounded education for students with special needs. They are:
- Ms Tay Wan Ting, APSN Katong School
- Mdm Noriytah Binte Sani, AWWA School
- Ms Esther Kwan Huey Chien, Grace Orchard School
3. A total of 320 nominations for 156 teachers were received from 14 SPED schools. The OSTA winners were selected by a selection panel, which comprised representatives from MOE, NCSS and partners in special education.
The Innovation Award
4. In recognition of schools’ innovations to enhance students’ learning, four schools were presented with the MOE-NCSS Innovation Award (IA). They are:
- APSN Delta Senior School
- Eden School
- Metta School
- Rainbow Centre – Yishun Park School
5. A total of 16 schools with 32 projects were nominated for the Innovation Award 2016. The nominated projects showed the innovative and creative use of teaching and learning strategies and resources in engaging students in their learning.
6. Information on the awardees can be found in Annex A.
7. The MOE-NCSS awards will be presented at the biennial SPED Conference on 4 November 2016. The selection panel for the awards can be found in Annex B.
Footnotes
About the SPED Conference
The Special Education (SPED) Conference is a biennial event organised by the Ministry of Education for SPED educators in the 20 government-funded SPED schools and representatives from their Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) to gather as a fraternity for professional development and sharing. It is also an occasion to recognise outstanding contributions of SPED teachers, innovations in the SPED schools and keep abreast of new policies and key developments in the SPED sector. The theme for the 2016 SPED Conference is ‘Staying Rooted, Soaring High’ which reaffirms the important role educators play in laying the foundation and “roots” for quality SPED so that all students can soar to their greatest potential.
About National Council of Social Service
NCSS is the umbrella body for over 450 social service organisations in Singapore. Its mission is to provide leadership and direction in enhancing the capabilities and capacity of our members, advocating for social service needs and strengthening strategic partnerships, for an effective social service ecosystem. Community Chest is the fund-raising and engagement arm of NCSS and the Social Service Institute (SSI) is the human capital development arm of NCSS. For more information, please visit: www.ncss.gov.sg.