Pathlight School
| Pathlight School | |
|---|---|
Pathlight School Campus 1 in 2011
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| Address | |
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5, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 Singapore, 569739 Singapore |
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| Information | |
| Type | Special education Public education school |
| Established | 2004 |
| School district | Central |
| Chairman | Mr Kang Puay Seng |
| Principal | Ms Linda Kho Ai Ling |
| Age | 7 to 21 |
| Enrolment | 1074 (January 2016) |
| Slogan | The Learning Journey (2004 - 2009) Where lives are transformed (2010 - present) |
| Website | www |
Pathlight School is a special school for high-functioning children with autism, located in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore. Founded in 2004, it is run by the non-profit Autism Resource Centre, and comprises one half of the national educational provision for autistic children. The school coaches students in social and life skills, teaches them mainstream curriculum subjects and prepares them for employment, in an autism friendly environment. With more than 500 pupils enrolled, the school has been noted for its achievements in special education in Singapore.
In 2003, the Autism Resource Centre (ARC) launched a project to provide comprehensive support for autistic Singaporeans, which included plans to set up the first autism-focused special school in Singapore. The ARC collaborated with the Rainbow Centre over a period of five months to renovate the temporary campus, recruit school staff, decide on the school values and develop the school programmes. After opening in 2004 with 10 teachers and 41 students, Pathlight School conducted charity walks, merchandise sales and other events to raise funds for the introduction of more programmes for an expanding intake. In 2007, two teachers from Pathlight School won the inaugural Most Outstanding Special Education Teacher Award and Most Innovative Special Education Teacher Award, given by the Singaporean Ministry of Education and National Council of Social Service. In 2009, the Autism Association of Singapore launched a second autism-focused special school, Eden School, and the two schools formed a partnership. The following year, Pathlight School moved to its permanent campus and announced plans to develop student internship programmes, build an information technology centre, and set up a lifelong learning club for alumni.
The permanent campus of Pathlight School at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10, which was constructed by W Architects and cost S$34 million to build, spans 1.6 hectares (0.016 km2; 0.0062 sq mi). Its facilities include 45 classrooms, four computer labs, three courtyards, an industrial kitchen and a multi-purpose area, as well as special art, music and design rooms. The campus was designed to offer students "dignity" and an autism friendly environment. For example, the walls and floors have a simple colour scheme, to avoid triggering sensory overload, while the taps in the canteen are slightly different from each other to help students learn to adopt less rigid routines. Due to limited facilities, some academic lessons, known as satellite classes, are conducted by Pathlight teachers at nearby mainstream schools, including Chong Boon Secondary School, Peirce Secondary School and Bishan Park Secondary School, Yio Chu Kang Secondary School
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