Ms Esther Kwan has been appointed the first principal of ACS (Academy), Singapore’s fifth special education (SPED) school that supports students on the autism spectrum who are able to access the National Curriculum. ACS (Academy) will be the first Methodist SPED school in Singapore.
Ms Kwan has spent her entire career since 2006 until March 2025 at Grace Orchard School (GOS). She joined GOS as a teacher and left as its principal. GOS, a school under Presbyterian Community Social Services, caters to children aged 7 to 18 with Mild Intellectual Disorder (MID) as well as those with a co-morbidity of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Ms Kwan was a recipient of the MOE-NCSS Outstanding SPED Teacher Award in 2016, and in 2018, she obtained a Master’s Scholarship in Special Education (Overseas) from the Ministry of Education. “God fulfilled the desires of my heart to be better equipped for the work,” Ms Kwan said about being able to study at Vanderbilt University.
An alumna of Methodist Girls’ School, she knew from an early age that she wanted a career in teaching. “I never thought I would be in special education because I didn’t think I would make a very good SPED teacher,” she said. “But God had other plans.”
After she completed her Bachelor’s and first Master’s degrees in the US, she returned home and “applied for any ( job) related to education”. She was drawn to GOS because it was a mission school and she would be given more autonomy in the classroom.
With more than 18 years of experience at GOS, Ms Kwan has found it bittersweet to move to a new school. “My students have taught me what it means to have true joy in learning,” she said. “They’ve also shown me what tenacity and resilience looks like. Most of them experience social isolation and the stigma that comes with a disability label, but I see them never giving up, boldly trying and picking themselves up after a ‘fall’.”
Perfect imperfections
A Christian, Ms Kwan’s understanding of neurodiversity is informed by her faith. “The term ‘neurodiversity’ is man’s way of reframing ‘disability’ which is often associated with the idea of brokenness, of imperfection. But the Bible tells us that each of us are created in God’s image, and that we are fearfully and wonderfully made,” said Ms Kwan, who worships at Pasir Panjang Christ Church.
“I call it ‘perfect imperfections’. I believe every child has been given exactly what they need to fulfil God’s purpose for their lives. But there is a mismatch between a person’s competence with societal demands. SPED must bridge that gap, equipping our students with supports that will allow them to remove or overcome the barriers they may face.”
As a SPED educator, Ms Kwan’s goals are to provide students with equal opportunities and experiences their mainstream peers would have. “I want them to find their voices, to exercise self-determination and advocate for themselves. It’s been heartening to see this happening now—we have the good ‘problem’ of finding them pathways and opening doors for them.”
In 2021, Ms Kwan—who has a brother with special needs—co-founded SibsUnite, a support group for siblings of persons with special needs. An experienced chorister, she also initiated SPEDacular Voices, a combined choir comprising more than 150 students from 12 SPED schools, which ran from 2016 to 2018.
Joining the ACS family
Prior to this role, Ms Kwan collaborated with ACS (Independent) to create an opportunity for a class of high school GOS students to attend ACS(I) twice a week. Together with their ACS(I) buddy classes, a Sec 4 class and a Year 5 class, they would have physical education (PE) lessons and recess together, plan and execute Values-in-Action (VIA) projects and take part in the “Play Inclusive” floorball competition. The programme culminates in a year-end dinner where parents of all the students are invited for a dinner that is planned by the students. The annual collaboration is in its third year, and Ms Kwan says the impact this programme has had on all students, from both GOS and ACS(I), has gone beyond their original intent.
Having seen the benefits of this collaboration, Ms Kwan is excited by the co-location of ACS (Primary) with ACS (Academy) in Tengah, where authentic platforms for students to practise the application of social skills can be provided.
On joining the ACS family, Ms Kwan says, “I have been humbled by the extensive support that has already been given to ACS (Academy) by more than 80 volunteers from the Methodist and ACS community. Together with Vice-Principal Dr Morgan Zhou, our focus for the first year would be to build on this strong foundation—both spiritual and physical—working closely with our key partners, Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) and Bukit Panjang Methodist Church (BPMC) so that the work we establish will be on solid ground.”
Dr Morgan Zhou, an old boy of ACS, has served in education at ACS and the National Institute of Education for 20 years. He currently chairs the Board of Children’s Ministry in the Trinity Annual Conference of The Methodist Church in Singapore and serves as the Vice-Chairperson of the Methodist Fathers Movement.
Kintsugi, a Japanese art form that uses gold to mend broken pottery, often results in a piece that is more beautiful and stronger than the original. My prayer is that in the years our students and their families are with us, they will experience what is akin to Kintsugi and in so doing, be a ‘beacon of truth and light’ of the God who created them. For truly, the Best is Yet to Be.
To future parents of ACS (Academy), Ms Kwan says, “Kintsugi, a Japanese art form that uses gold to mend broken pottery, often results in a piece that is more beautiful and stronger than the original. My prayer is that in the years our students and their families are with us, they will experience what is akin to Kintsugi and in so doing, be a ‘beacon of truth and light’ of the God who created them. For truly, the Best is Yet to Be.”
ACS (Academy) will serve students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who have no intellectual impairment and can access the National Curriculum (NC), or what is known as the ASD-NC student profile. Students in ASD-NC schools are exempted from Mother Tongue Languages (MTL) and will receive an assigned MTL score between Achievement Level (AL) 6 and AL 8 in the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). Please note that there are no alumni or affiliation considerations for priority admission to special education (SPED) schools. Additionally, SPED schools in Singapore do not offer affiliation benefits for admission to any secondary school or post-secondary institution.
For more information about ACS (Academy), please visit www.acsacademy.edu.sg.
Lianne Ong is the Editor of Methodist Message. / Photo courtesy of Esther Kwan