WHAT IT IS

THE first certificate presentation ceremony for special needs officers from the Ministry of Education (MOE) will be held today.

WHY IT MATTERS

The 47 special needs officers are the first to graduate from a comprehensive specialist training programme. Run in collaboration with the Dyslexia Association of Singapore, the programme is meant to give the officers the skills to spot and support children with learning disabilities. MOE plans to have these special needs officers in all primary schools and some secondary schools by 2010. Dyslexia, estimated to affect about 3 per cent of Singapore's population, is a learning disability that manifests as difficulty with written language.