SPED Capacity Expansion for ASD-ID Students

The Ministry of Education (MOE) plans to expand Singapore's Special Education (SPED) school capacity for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder with Intellectual Disability (ASD-ID) from the second half of 2026 through the early 2030s. MOE says it will work with Social Service Agencies (SSAs) to meet rising demand; the announcement is a capacity plan, not an immediate guarantee of a place for every applicant and not a guaranteed placement (MOE, Committee of Supply 2026 announcements, accessed 2 September 2026).

Additional and interim campuses

MOE identified additional campuses at three existing MINDS SPED schools. MINDS Fernvale Gardens School is to operate from an interim site in the East region from the second half of 2026, and MINDS Lee Kong Chian Gardens School from an interim site in the Central region from the second half of 2026. MINDS Towner Gardens School is to operate from an interim site in the East region from 2027. MINDS Woodlands Gardens School is also to relocate to a larger interim site in the North region from 2027 (MOE, Committee of Supply 2026 announcements, accessed 2 September 2026).

Three planned new schools

MOE is studying three new ASD-ID schools across Singapore to improve geographical accessibility. The proposed partners are APSN Education Services Ltd., Autism Association (Singapore) and St. Andrew's Mission Hospital. MOE states that these organisations are Social Service Agencies with relevant experience and domain expertise; the announcement says more details will be provided when ready, so the study should not be read as a completed school-opening schedule (MOE, Committee of Supply 2026 announcements, accessed 2 September 2026).

Capacity figures and interpretation

With the three new schools, MOE projects the number of SPED schools serving ASD-ID students to rise from 13 to 16. Across all disability types, the total number of government and community-funded SPED schools is projected to rise from 26 to 30, and capacity is expected to increase by about 30%, from around 9,000 to about 12,000 students. The denominator matters: 13-to-16 describes ASD-ID-serving schools, while 26-to-30 and 9,000-to-12,000 describe the broader government and community-funded SPED system; these figures are projections tied to the announced expansion, not current enrolment counts or admission eligibility rules (MOE, Committee of Supply 2026 announcements, accessed 2 September 2026).