NOT ASKING FOR THE MOON...Just A Place For My Son In Autism Sped School...!!!

By Aqil Alid

I rarely post on social media. But today is an exception. Today I can't help but to post this.


After much persuasion from my wife... today after work, I accompanied both my wife and son to Eden School / Eden Centres for Adults / Eden Children's Centres / AAS for Autism, hoping to plead for a slot for Nabil in there this year. After meeting with the in-charge for enrollment, to our disappointment we were told that the earliest most possible intake for Nabil is next year in January 2018.


He is turning eight this year...it's been 2 long years already..how long more do you expect my son to wait... I can't help feeling the negative vibes that Nabil is like not being considered at all for a place when being told to go and try for other sped schools or private schools.....this is easier said than done.


It is beyond my understanding why distance between school and home is not being considered during a sped school enrollment just like how it is being applied in mainstream primary schools.


I really can't comprehend the system which actually saw Eden (Bt Batok) according priority/assigning slots to students who reside far away in the east such as Tampines And Pasir Ris while we the folks living in the west(Choa Chu Kang) are left hanging precariously by the hook.


We as parents are truly exhausted. Have tried numerous means of help...even to the extent of approaching the Member of Parliament of our area Mr Zaqy Mohamad in the hope of of being able to expedite the enrollment but regrettably we have yet to receive even a single reply from him regarding the matter till the present day.


It is just emotionally tiring and draining to say the least...as a husband, seeing your wife shedding her tears helplessly in public as we stepped out of Eden School earlier on while hugging my son was the last straw for me!


Seek help from Ministry of Education, Singapore you say?? How could we when in the first place, they couldn't even issue a simple student Ezlink card to Nabil just because he has yet to enrol in a school. Yes. My son has been paying adult train fares since he turned 7. How does one even being justifying this absurdity?!


The system needs to change...someone has got to look into the cases which falls through the cracks-that's where our unheard voices are being suppressed unfairly....:(


This first appeared as a post on the Facebook wall of Mr Aqil Alid on 3 January 2017. Do join in the discussion over there if you have thoughts to share.


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