SINGAPORE – Social service agency APSN marked a milestone on Feb 27 with a ground-breaking ceremony for a new campus that will house students from two special education schools.
The event was held at the new site at 8 Ang Mo Kio Street 54, where the two schools – APSN Chaoyang School and APSN Tanglin School – will be located. The campus is expected to be ready by 2026.
The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
“Step by step, we are building a more inclusive society.” PM Lee said in a Facebook post about the event on Feb 27.
“I look forward to the completion of the new campus, which will holistically educate students with special needs, and support them through their schooling years.”
The new campus will create closer connections and opportunities for older and younger students to learn from one another, he added.
The redeveloped school site, which costs about $92 million and is mainly funded by the Ministry of Education, will provide 400 primary-level places and 350 secondary-level places.
APSN Chaoyang School, which serves primary school children aged seven to 12, currently has 370 pupils. APSN Tanglin School, which serves older students aged 13 to 16, has 290 students.
APSN provides support services for individuals with mild intellectual disability.
Construction of the new campus is targeted for completion by 2025, and students and staff can move into the new campus in January 2026, which will coincide with APSN’s 50th anniversary.
Locating both schools together will better ease the transition from primary to secondary school, APSN chairman Ruby Cheah said, as 95 per cent of Primary 6 pupils from APSN Chaoyang School typically continue their secondary education in APSN Tanglin School.
“Our continuous pathway also supports them at other stages of their life journey through sheltered enterprise training, employment support, lifelong learning and alumni services,” she said in a speech at the event.
The joint campus will offer more opportunities for physical education, sensorial and exploratory play, and outdoor experiential learning.
The seven-storey campus, which will span about 22,000 sq m, will be 40 per cent covered in greenery, and have sports facilities such as sheltered play courts, and multi-level green learning decks for outdoor activities.
“These enable outdoor learning activities, fostering healthy living and leisure habits that are part of the Daily Living Skills curriculum, and preparing our students for lifelong sports participation,” Mrs Cheah added.
APSN Tanglin School will have vocational training facilities, such as a mini supermarket, restaurant and an apparel store, to expose students to work environments and develop their work interests.
The library will feature different areas designed for students to choose the space best suited to their learning needs.
The canteen will have tables and chairs that can be reconfigured so that it can be adapted for different activities.
Ms Patricia Kong, chairwoman of APSN Chaoyang School’s parent support group committee, said many parents are excited about the new location, enhanced facilities and new programmes.
The bigger compound and capacity to take in more children will be a blessing for many families with children who might be on waitlists for the current schools, the 37-year-old realtor said.
Her son, who is a Primary 6 pupil at APSN Chaoyang School and will be in Secondary 2 in 2026, would be excited to see familiar teachers and students in the new campus, she added.
“When the new compound is ready, (and) everybody can come together, it’d be really nice to see familiar faces.”
Her son, who plays sports such as floorball, badminton and basketball and is also in the school choir, is looking forward to the bigger sports hall and outdoor running track, said Ms Kong.
“As parents, you want to see your child grow in a space that is positive and that gives the most potential to your children,” she added.
