More special education graduates progressing to work or further studies

They also earn higher incomes, narrowing the wage gap with the general workforce

- Shermaine Ang

More graduates from special education schools are progressing to work, training, or further studies at institutes of higher learning.

They also earned higher incomes in 2023, compared with 2019, narrowing the income difference between them and the general workforce.

In 2023, 57 per cent of these graduates moved on to these pathways, up from 51.3 per cent in 2016, based on figures from the Education Ministry's Graduate Employment Survey.

The remaining graduates went on to enroll in adult disability services, including sheltered workshops and day activity centres, or received care at home.

These findings were revealed in the first Disability Trends Report released by the Ministry of Social and Family Development on Dec 2.

The report provides an overview of key trends relating to people with disabilities (PWDs) and their caregivers in areas such as inclusive employment, quality of life, caregiving support, and public attitude towards PWDs.

The employment rate of PWDs grew from 28.2 per cent in 2019 to 32.7 per cent in 2023, according to data from the Comprehensive Labour Force Survey by the Ministry of Manpower.

Around 45,000 PWDs aged 19 and above were known to the Government as at December 2023. This refers to PWDs who applied for government schemes or services.

The most common disability types were physical disability (34.4 per cent), followed by intellectual disability (19.2 per cent) and hearing loss (16 per cent), said the report.