Based on reporting by The Straits Times, 27 May 2026. Read the original article.
Somewhere in the first few years of school, many parents of a child with special needs hear a sentence they were not ready for. "Have you thought about a different kind of school?"
For some families it comes as a relief. For others it lands like a verdict. Either way, the question that follows is the same, and it is a lonely one: mainstream or special education (SPED), and how will we know if we are choosing right?
In April 2026, the Ministry of Education (MOE) released figures on how many children move between the two systems, for the first time. Transfers have gone through a central application process since 2023, and were handled by individual schools before that. The Straits Times recently set those numbers beside the stories of families living them. Here is what we took from it, what we hear from parents in our own community, and where we stand at StruggleSmart.
If there is one thing to take from these figures, it is that the move is not one-way, and it is not necessarily permanent. Needs change. Children respond to support. Sometimes the right school for Primary 3 is not the right school for Secondary 1.
We are not naming the families, because their children are the ones at the centre of these stories. But the patterns are worth looking at.
Where support was active, mainstream worked.Parents described SEN officers who met their child before Primary 1, buddy systems, a lighter spelling workload, larger print, and a teacher who shared photos of staff so a worried child could get to know them in advance. One officer even sat with a child at mealtimes until eating at school stopped being frightening.
Where support was thin, parents filled the gap.Others described an officer who left and was never replaced, or a school where they had never met the officer at all and every conversation went through the class teacher. One parent was advised not to tell her son about his diagnosis in case he used it as an excuse. Another watched her child freeze when a teacher pressed him to explain why he was fidgeting, when what he needed was to move before he could focus.
Both directions of transfer can be the right call.One child who spent years coming home from mainstream school discouraged now enjoys going to APSN Chaoyang School every day. Another has grown in confidence at Pathlight School, which also has a partnership programme that lets its students attend some lessons at a nearby mainstream school, Mayflower Secondary School. A different family moved a child from SPED to mainstream because he was not being challenged academically, then found they missed the smaller classes and the quiet space where he could decompress. Their definition of success shifted to a simple one: as long as he is not sad at school, they are content.
Teachers are stretched too.The report also speaks to teachers in primary schools who are seeing more children with SEN, some with very challenging behaviour, and who say that even good strategies do not solve everything because every child with ADHD, for example, looks different. This is worth remembering when we talk about "support". It is a partnership between parents and people who are often doing their best with limited resources.
Getting a SPED place is not simple.A professional assessment, school report and psychological report are among the documents needed. Some parents said the wait from polyclinic referral to a formal assessment can stretch beyond six months, which leads some to go private, at higher cost but faster. Even then, a diagnosis does not guarantee a place, because vacancies are limited.
The parent groups and conversations we follow tell a very similar story. These are themes, not quotes, but you may recognise them.
There is no best system, only the best fit for now.The two-way movement says it all. Reviewing your choice is not failing, and changing your mind is not a mistake. It means you are paying attention.
A diagnosis opens doors, but it does not make the decision.It can unlock support, and it helps everyone talk about the same thing. But the answer to "which school?" comes from looking at your child's actual days: where they cope, where they fall apart, and when they are happiest.
Judge fit by your child's days, not the school's label.Signs it is working: they are willing to go in the morning, they come home with some energy left, they are learning something even if slowly, and at least one adult really understands them. Signs it may not be: constant trouble, dread on Sunday nights, or a child who has stopped trying.
Ask for support to be specific and written down."We will keep an eye on it" is not a plan. What exactly will be done, by whom, and how often? You are allowed to ask.
Do not wait for the perfect school to start helping.Some of what helps most happens at home: predictable routines, ways to calm down, and a clear picture of what your child needs. Our starter kits on mornings, meltdowns, homework, after-school crashes and bedtime are built for exactly that.
Parents and teachers are on the same side.As one parent pointed out, some classes have more than thirty pupils, and no teacher can run a class on one child's profile alone. The parents who get the most from school are often the ones who offer a short, kind, practical note about what works, and who thank the teacher when it helps.
About the school
About your child
The numbers can tell us how many children move. They cannot tell us which move is right for yours. What the families in this story share is not a school, but a way of deciding: they looked closely at their child, they were willing to change course, and they defined success by how their child was doing, not by a label. In the words of one father, what matters is finding the best fit for your child.
If you are somewhere in the middle of this decision, you are not behind, and you are not alone. If you would like to talk through any of it, email hello@strugglesmart.sg or visit strugglesmart.sg.
Source: The Straits Times, "Between school systems, parents in S'pore search for the right fit for children with special needs" by Gabrielle Chan and Elisha Tushara, published 27 May 2026, including figures from the Ministry of Education cited there. Read the original article. The views and parent themes in this article are StruggleSmart's own. It is general guidance for educational purposes and not a substitute for advice from your child's doctor, psychologist, school or MOE. Policies and figures may change, so please confirm current details with the relevant authority.