SP Group donates S$300,000 to support students from lower-income families with undiagnosed learning challenges, advancing DAS’ “Going Beyond Dyslexia” initiative

SINGAPORE, 22 FEBRUARY 2025 — The Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) officially opened its second largest learning centre at Toa Payoh today, expanding support for students who learn differently. This brings the total number of centres providing interventional services across Singapore to 12, reflecting DAS’ growing commitment to empowering struggling learners, including those without formal diagnosis, to achieve their true potential. Mr Chee Hong Tat, Minister for Transport, Second Minister for Finance and Adviser to Bishan-Toa Payoh Grassroots Organisations, graced the event as the guest-of-honour.

The DAS Bursary Fund also received a S$300,000 boost from SP Group, extending vital support to learners from lower-income families, who do not have a formal diagnosis of special educational needs such as dyslexia but are impacted similarly by learning differences, to access intervention services.

Since April 2024, DAS has taken the transformative step towards inclusive education by opening up its services to enroll students without formal diagnosis of a learning difference, with many coming from lower-income families and requiring financial assistance. This effort to extend support beyond formal diagnosis exemplifies the “Going Beyond” culture at DAS to constantly strive to make a greater impact on the lives of individuals with dyslexia.

While dyslexia affects approximately 4 to 10 per cent of any population, the proportion of struggling learners as a whole is significantly higher, at about 20 per cent. Of every 10 students assessed for dyslexia at DAS, three do not receive a dyslexia diagnosis, yet half of them would benefit from targeted intervention and resources to bridge their learning gaps.

One such student is eight-year-old Nur Evren Elveera, a Primary 2 student at Zheng Hua Primary School, who faced early challenges in writing and pronunciation. Concerned with her learning difficulties, her parents sought an assessment at DAS, where it was confirmed that while she does not have dyslexia, she would benefit from structured literacy support. Through proactive intervention, including DAS’ IReaCH Programme and additional tutoring, Evren has developed strategies to improve her reading and spelling. Her journey highlights the importance of accessible learning support for all children who face learning challenges, regardless of formal diagnosis.

“The new Toa Payoh Learning Centre represents another step forward in our commitment to building an inclusive society where every learner can thrive, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances. Embracing our “Go Beyond” spirit, we are broadening our support for more children navigating learning challenges. We are extremely grateful to SP Group and all our donors for their unwavering support in advancing our cause,” said Mr Lee Siang, CEO of DAS.

Mr Stanley Huang, Group CEO of SP Group, said, “As we work towards uplifting lives and fostering an inclusive community, we recognise that early and targeted intervention is instrumental in establishing a strong foundation for young learners with special education needs. SP Group is committed to empowering their sustained and holistic development, so that they can gain skills and opportunities to thrive. Our partnership with DAS aims to level the playing field for children and youth who learn differently, providing them hope and confidence to realise their potential.”

Located at Block 240 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 and just a short walk from Braddell MRT Station, the DAS Toa Payoh Learning Centre aims to better serve students residing in central, central-east and north-east Singapore. Spanning close to 330 sqm with 11 classrooms, the centre will help to ease capacity constraints at existing DAS centres. Besides adjoining classrooms that can be used for large meetings, other facilities include a staff pantry with self-service facilities, virtual assistants and a library.

Offering the Main Literacy Programme, along with Chinese, Preschool, PREP 2 PSLE, Science, Specialist Teaching and Maths programmes, the DAS Toa Payoh Learning Centre is supported by a team of highly-skilled Educational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists and Specialist Psychologists.

The DAS Main Literacy Programme (MLP) is part-funded by the Ministry of Education (MOE). Apart from SP Group, other key donors for the various DAS programmes not funded by MOE with contributions of above S$100,000 in the financial year 2024-2025, include Singapore Teochew Foundation, Lim Hoon Foundation, UOB, Ishk Tolaram Foundation and World Vision. DAS also received an in-kind contribution of LED lighting from Signify for the new Toa Payoh Learning Centre .