SINGAPORE — A new inclusive preschool, slated to open next July, will see a mix of 75 mainstream and special-needs children learning and playing together in an environment designed for all children.

The preschool in Redhill, which offers both full- and half-day programmes, will take in children between 18 months and six years old, and 30 per cent of the places will be set aside for children with special needs.

It will accept children with various conditions, from milder ones like dyslexia to those with severe conditions like Down Syndrome. Even children with medical needs will be accepted as space will be allocated for a nurse, said Ms Christina Van Huizen, assistant director of voluntary welfare organisation Asian Women’s Welfare Association (AWWA).

AWWA has joined hands with the Lien Foundation to set up the S$3.6 million preschool. It will be located within an integrated community space for people with disabilities in Redhill, which is managed by SG Enable.

Fees for the preschool will range from S$680 to S$980 per month, before government subsidies. They are comparable to the cap of S$720 monthly for general full-day childcare fees at anchor operators, but higher than the monthly childcare fee of S$360 and school fee of S$150 before subsidies at Ministry of Education kindergartens.

Parents will be able to start registering their interest in June at Preschool [at] awwa.org.sg.

All children will follow a common schedule of activities and be taught the same content. Highly-trained teachers – supported by specialists and allied health professionals – will tailor their lessons to suit the learning needs and preferences of each child.

For example, while one teacher conducts the class, another may guide children with speech impairments to participate in classes using a picture communication system. Children will also be encouraged to learn from each other by breaking into smaller groups, where students will take turn recapping lessons.

At 1,100 sqm, the preschool is twice the size of regular void deck preschools, and classrooms and play areas have also been designed to be inclusive and accessible to all children. Open-concept classrooms arrangements, an elevated tree-house fully accessible by wheelchair and a sensory garden for water and sand play are some of its key features.

To facilitate individualised attention, teacher-student ratios will be as low as one teacher to every five students in classes for three to six year olds, compared to the Government-recommended ratio of one teacher to 25 students for six-year-olds in kindergarten two.

Ms Van Huizen said the teaching staff at the preschool would at least have a university degree but having the right attitude and disposition is important, too. All teachers will have to go through three different phases of training, starting with in-house training in their first three months.

AWWA chief executive officer Tim Oei assured parents that standards at the preschool will not be compromised as it will have to meet those set by regulators.

“Each child will have their individual plan and they will all have different speeds to develop themselves, but they will all arrive together,” he told a press conference today (Dec 2).

Lien foundation CEO Lee Poh Wah added: “Disability is not a contagious disease, so why are we segregating and alienating all these very young children from one another, while in the classroom we’re teaching them to respect one another and to take care of the world around them.”

While some parents whom TODAY spoke to agree that it is good for mainstream children to learn how to interact and communicate with special-needs children, they were sceptical if the new preschool would meet their children’s educational needs.

Mr Kelvin Tan said he was concerned about the pace of lessons being too slow for his two sons, aged two and four.

The mother of a four-year-old boy with moderate autism, who wants to be known only as Madam Xu, said the new school is a “positive development”, but is unsure if it will be a right fit for her son.

“The question is, if he will be able to really learn, I would say I’m definitely very keen to find out more and perhaps, do a trial,” she added.