New ACS special education school to take in 100 pupils with autism in January 2026

SINGAPORE - A new special education (Sped) school for children with autism will take in 100 pupils across Primary 1 and 2 when it opens in January 2026.

The ACS (Academy) is set up by Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) and Methodist Welfare Services, a social service agency.

The newest member of the ACS family, it will be the fifth Sped school here offering the national curriculum for students with autism and who have no intellectual impairment.

Students following the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) national curriculum need to take national examinations, such as the PSLE.

ACS (Academy) will start operations in January 2026 at the former Choa Chu Kang Secondary School site in Teck Whye Crescent.

It is expected to move to a new purpose-built school in Tengah by 2031, where it will be co-located with ACS (Primary).

ACS (Academy) is currently accepting applications for the 2026 cohort until Aug 31.

Besides ACS (Academy), St Andrew’s Mission School and Pathlight School also offer the national curriculum to students with autism spectrum disorder and who have no intellectual disability.

The new school comes as more children in Singapore have been diagnosed with autism in recent years.

Recognising the growing need for “quality schooling” for children with autism, ACS (Academy) principal Esther Kwan told The Straits Times that it wants to extend the same standard of education it offers at its mainstream schools such as ACS (Primary) and ACS Independent.

Ms Kwan said the curriculum will be tailored to support the learning needs of its students, and it aims to “unite mainstream and special education within a shared, inclusive learning environment that celebrates each child’s unique strengths”.

In 2023, MOE announced that ACS (Primary) will move from its Barker Road location to Tengah, and begin admitting girls, alongside plans for the new Sped school run by ACS and Methodist Welfare Services.

Meanwhile, Pathlight School currently runs two schools – the first started operations in Ang Mo Kio in 2004. It has two campuses in Ang Mo Kio.

Pathlight School opened its second purpose-built school in Tampines in January, taking in pupils from Primary 1 to 4.

Its senior principal, Ms Linda Kho, said its Tampines campus will progressively grow to offer post-primary national curriculum and vocational curriculum.

Pathlight’s third campus in Punggol is expected to open in 2032. The Autism Resource Centre (Singapore) runs the Pathlight School.

The new campuses are part of MOE’s efforts to support students on the autism spectrum who can access the national curriculum, said Ms Kho.

Data from the Child Development Programme at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital and National University Hospital show that more children are being diagnosed with developmental conditions such as autism, and speech and language delay.

The Straits Times previously reported that the number of children aged six and younger diagnosed with developmental conditions rose by 32 per cent, from 5,300 in 2019, to 7,000 in 2023.

Dr Sim Zi Lin, programme director and psychologist at the Autism Resource Centre (Singapore), said these rising numbers suggest that the incidence of autism in Singapore may be increasing, although there is no formal study on the prevalence done here.

Greater clarity in the diagnostic criteria for autism, along with greater awareness of the condition and access to early intervention, also means fewer children go undiagnosed today than in the past, she said.

Healthcare worker Esther Tan, 35, has enrolled her six-year-old daughter at ACS (Academy).

She said the school’s focus on inclusion is a big draw, as she feels it is critical not to isolate children with special needs from other children and the community.

Mrs Tan, a mother of two, said: “We don’t want to send her to a mainstream school as we are afraid she would be bullied.

“At a special school, the class size is smaller, and they get more support from their teachers.”

Homemaker Norardiana Nordin, 40, has also enrolled her six-year-old son, Aafi, at ACS (Academy). She cited the school’s proximity to their Bukit Batok home as a key factor.

Madam Norardiana, who has seven children, said: “ACS is a brand-name school, so I’m sure the teaching would be very good.

“I also did some research and found that the principal has about 20 years of experience in special education, so I have confidence in her,” she added.