LATEST UPDATE: 21 OCTOBER 2008
NEW ARC (S) HQ AND PATHLIGHT SCHOOL BUILDING IS ON TARGET TO BE READY IN MARCH 2009
Pathlight School Project Progress as of 24th September 2008
Address: 5, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 (S569739)
Site Progress Overview from HDB 401
Since construction of the new school building started in November 2007, work on site has been going on smoothly. As of end September 2008, construction has reached roof level. We are on schedule to complete the project by Mid March 2009. The ARC (S) HQ and Pathlight School plan to move during the mid year holidays in 2009.
LATEST UPDATE: 21 OCTOBER 2008
We would like to thank every donor for your contribution to the New School Building Fund. With the $2m donation from Ngee Ann Kongsi this year, we have finally reached our target.
We are now raising funds for our poor and needy students and social enterprises for youths and adults with autism. Please refer to our donation page for details.
Why do we need new facilities?
Pathlight School’s current premises at Ang Mo Kio Street 44 is a temporary site which was offered to Autism Resource Centre (Singapore) in July 2003. With a very modest budget, the abandoned school site was renovated and the School started operations in January 2004 with an enrolment of 41 students with autism.
The School enrolment has grown many times over. We now have 420 students, some of whom have just finished their PSLE and GCE Examinations.
Why were we raising funds?
We have received approval from the Government to build a new school at a permanent site at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10. Plans have been drawn up and tenders have been called.
For the school to be built, we have to raise:
5% of the cost for Standard Items,
100% for Non Standard Items. (Includes an Industrial Kitchen, a Design Studio and Living Skills Facilities)
Where we are now located, we have Pathlight Cafe which has proven to be invaluable in the training of our older students. They acquire skills which enable them to take orders, make beverages, collect money and give change, clear up, wash etc.
In the Enabling Masterplan spearheaded by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) in 2007, the food manufacturing/food and beverage industry has been highlighted as one of the direct employment channels and we believe our students with autism, with adequate job coaching, will be able to take on such types of jobs.
With an industrial kitchen, we plan to enhance the types of training opportunities and in more appropriate settings. We are certainly looking to increasing the number of persons to whom we can offer such training.
To promote self reliance and independent living, the Living Skills Facilities are designed to support the execution of the School Curriculum for Life Skills Training. We are also planning to use this facility to conduct training for the whole family - the grandparents, parents, siblings and caregivers of persons affected by autism. We do this because we believe that the best outcome for a child with autism is achieved when there is family-focus to therapies, programmes and living.
What will the new facilities provide?
The dream is to build a regional Centre of Excellence for Autism to model and share approaches to effectively support people with autism through their lives.
The new facilities will house both the Pathlight School and the Autism Resource Centre. We expect to serve about 600 children from early intervention (aged 2 to 3 years) to Secondary School. We also expect to offer close to 2000 autism training places for family caregivers, teachers and other professionals.
Pathlight School alone is today serving more than 400 students in primary, secondary and pre-vocational training. There are no more spaces to build some more container classrooms. The students do PE on the road; and use the corridoors for running. 'We are bursting at the seams.'
Specifically, the new facilities will offer the following services:
Current Services
New Services
Pathlight Primary (PSLE), Secondary (GCE) and Pre-Vocational Training
ARC Early Intervention Unit serving children aged 2 to 3
ARC Training and Consulting Centre which trains caregivers, teachers and other professionals from Singapore and the region
An IT School (at least 4 computer labs) which can train students with autism from not just Pathlight but also other mainstream and special schools since they are generally interested and good in computers
A Daily Living Skills Unit which offers life skills training in the form of workshops and camps for students and family caregivers
Vocational Training Worksites such as the Office; Café/Food and Beverage Production; Art and Design Studio; Music Studio; Landscape and Maintenance Unit
An accreditated Early Intervention Programme
What is the total cost of the facilities?
There are 4 buildings housing all the services. Total cost is $33m, out of which $7.5 million are from fundraising. Government (MOE:$26m and MCYS: $400k) funds the standard items for early intervention, primary, secondary and pre-vocational facilities.
When will the new facilities be ready?
The new autism-friendly facilities are targeted to be ready by March 2009. The entire ARC(S) and Pathlight School will move in May/June 2009 during the mid term school holidays to minimize disruption to learning.
