Early Intervention Centres (EICs), provide specialised support for young children who have a learning/ development support need or a disability.  It promotes each child's development and meaningful participation in all aspects of their life. Early intervention provides therapy, management and support for children with special education/ development needs during the formative, early years from birth until they begin primary school. The EICs taps on multi-disciplinary team of specialists to provide a range of services including special education, allied education, occupational therapy, psychology, speech therapy and support to children and their caregivers. To enrol in some EICs, there is an approximately 1 year long waiting list before child can commence on these sessions. Enrolment of children is subject to assessment by professionals such as KKH Child Development Unit, and the frequency and duration of EIC sessions is further determined by EIC based on the child's level of intervention and support required. 

This petition is focused on ECDA's COVID-19 measure where "For children who attend both pre-schools and EICs, any in-person sessions are to be conducted one to one to minimise any possible transmission across centres". While the intention might have been good, there is clearly no feedback gathering from caregivers to special education needs children who are enrolled in EICs. This has resulted in crucial EIC support drastically and grossly reduced for children since July 2021, with weekly session duration cut by 50% to 75%. This represents a protracted cutback in level of intervention and support, of which was professionally determined by doctors and EICs as baseline for the child's development and learning.  This is also despite special education needs children being extremely reliant on this support by EICs, since some cannot be dual schooled due to their special needs. 

Since entering into Heightened Alert (HA) phases in July 2021, ECDA introduced measures for EICs to manage the COVID-19 situation. For instance, my K1 son had been enrolled in EIC since 2020. Since HA in July 2021, my son’s sessions changed from 7 hours face to face (i.e. 2 sessions of 3.5 hours each) to 1 hour online (Home based intervention). Only in Oct 2021, my son was able to finally resume his physical session. However, ECDA’s rule only allow students like my son to attend 1-1 sessions. His EIC session is now once a week, for 2.5 hours. Only on 12 Nov 2021, his EIC session duration was reinstated to 3.5 hours, which is half the original frequency per our EIC contract. EIC lessons will then again halt for 1.5 months for the school holidays in Nov/ Dec. This ECDA cap continues despite MOE and Tuition Centres for young learners already resuming physical classes since Sep/ Oct 2021.

For us as caregivers to special education needs children, we tried to live with the disruptions, thinking that it would be one-off or short term. However, this reduced EIC has already been in place for about 4 months, and there is no clarity when the normal frequency of EIC sessions parents have paid for will ever get reinstated based on checks with ECDA in mid Nov 2021. ECDA owes to provide us clarity so that alternative arrangements can be made, since reduced EIC sessions may result in deferment of Primary School for children if they are not ready.

ECDA's measure is effectively DEPRIVING these children of this crucial support, during the children’s formative years where the right intervention can yield the best possible outcomes to help them in their future.

ECDA’s measures for EIC centres is also a stark contrast against MOE Primary Schools, Private tuition and enrichment centres and Childcare Centre with no such UNREALISTIC limitation and cap on children’s attendance. To start with, EIC class size are very small to begin with - 5 students with 2 Teachers. Further at any one time, there are only 2 classes being run comcurrently, which is about 10-12 pax students in total. Versus normal childcare classes with larger caps of 20 pax to a class or Private tution classes with caps of 50 pax. MOE has also resumed normal physical classes with class size of 30 - 40 per class and teachers teaching multiple classes. And higher risk activities like Vaccinated Travel Lanes have resumed, yet children with education/ development need are deprived of their right to the normal duration and frequency of Early Intervention sessions.

This ECDA measure also contradicts with the government’s stance on COVID-19 being an endemic. Despite all the existing SMM and safeguards implemented by the EIC, ECDA continues this cap on the frequency and hours of EIC sessions.

As a double whammy, parents still continue to pay the full fee while lessons are drastically cut. For instance, I continue paying $350/ month after subsidy, all while intervention hours had cut back 50% - 75%. There was also no increase in the subsidy amount by ECDA despite this unilateral measure to indirectly cut EIC duration. Some parents have reported regression in their children due to the disruptive and grossly reduced duration of EIC sessions. Some parents have sought to fork out for costly private therapy sessions to augment the reduction in EIC sessions.

While the affected makes for a small minority to make for any impact, policy makers need to understand how these measures are unrealistic and hurting the children and caregivers badly for 4 months now. It is crucial ECDA know about these on the ground. Some EIC schools will close for the 1.5 months holidays in November - December which once again means halt in sessions. But more importantly, there is no clarity in reinstating normal duration of lessons NEXT YEAR given the daily COVID 19 case count would not be dropping significantly soon. In other words does this mean the drastic cut in EIC duration continues indefinitely?

Children with special needs have a right to continue with their education and to participate fully in life with dignity.