Phua Lay Peng Denise
Encyclopedia
Denise Phua Lay Peng is a Singapore
an politician
and special needs
volunteer. After a successful corporate career spanning two decades, she became the president of the Autism Resource Centre (Singapore)
and co-founded Pathlight School
. She is also a Member of Parliament (MP)
, representing the ruling People's Action Party (PAP)
in Jalan Besar
Group Representation Constituency (GRC)
. As an MP, she has focused on developing programmes for the disabled and special needs communities in Singapore.
. She graduated from the National University of Singapore
with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Golden Gate University
. In a career spanning two decades, she held management positions at Hewlett-Packard
and the Wuthelam Group. She then founded a regional leadership training firm, the Centre of Effective Leadership.
In 2005, Phua left the corporate world to be a full-time special needs volunteer. She and her partners sold the Centre of Effective Leadership to Right Management, a Manpower Inc.
subsidiary. Phua then became president of the Autism Resource Centre (Singapore)
. She often wrote to newspapers and government agencies on issues affecting the special needs community.
Phua was co-founder and former acting principal of Pathlight School
, the first special school for autistic children in Singapore. The school offers mainstream curriculum and life skills education to its students. A believer in helping autistic people realise their potential and integrate into society, Phua helped develop many of the school's programmes. These include employability skills training through a student-run café, specialised vocational training, and satellite classes where Pathlight students mix with mainstream students. In four years, enrolment increased tenfold and the school attracted media attention for its impact on students.
. During the election campaign, she promised to make Singapore a more inclusive society by representing the disabled and special needs communities. The PAP team won Jalan Besar GRC with 69.26% of the vote.
In July 2006, the PAP formed a workgroup, headed by Phua, to explore initiatives to improve the financial security of disabled and special needs children. Phua also led a committee that drew up a five-year plan to improve services for special needs children. The PAP studied their proposals and later implemented some, such as a National Non-Profit Special Needs Trust Fund. Laws were also drafted to prohibit abuse of the mentally disabled and to allow parents to appoint someone to look after their special needs children after they die.
Phua criticised the PAP's "many helping hands" approach, where social services are provided by charities and overseen by the PAP. She said that special education
should be led by the Ministry of Education
(MOE), as it had more resources and expertise. Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan
defended the policy, arguing that it reduced bureaucracy and left jobs to the right people. However, the MOE agreed to play a more active role in special education, with increased funding and teacher training. The MOE also introduced more satellite classes in mainstream schools and helped special schools set targets for learning outcomes, such as O-Level passes.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
an politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and special needs
Special needs
In the USA, special needs is a term used in clinical diagnostic and functional development to describe individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological. For instance, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International...
volunteer. After a successful corporate career spanning two decades, she became the president of the Autism Resource Centre (Singapore)
Autism Resource Centre (Singapore)
Autism Resource Centre is a non-profit organisation in Singapore.Started by volunteers, ARC aims to highlight the needs of individuals with an autism spectrum disorder and provide a spectrum of services that helps them maximise their fullest potential and lead meaningful lives in society.ARC...
and co-founded Pathlight School
Pathlight School
Pathlight School is a special school for high-functioning autistic children, located in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore. Founded in 2004, it is run by the non-profit Autism Resource Centre, and comprises one half of the national educational provision for autistic children...
. She is also a Member of Parliament (MP)
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, representing the ruling People's Action Party (PAP)
People's Action Party
The People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
in Jalan Besar
Jalan Besar
Jalan Besar is the name of a street in the northeastern part of the Central Area in Singapore, which is its central business district. It is also the name of the electoral Jalan Basar Group Representation Constituency, of which Jalan Basar is a prominent centrepiece...
Group Representation Constituency (GRC)
Constituencies of Singapore
Constituencies in Singapore are electoral divisions which may be represented by single or multiple seats in the Parliament of Singapore. Constituencies are classified as either single member or group representation constituencies...
. As an MP, she has focused on developing programmes for the disabled and special needs communities in Singapore.
Early years and corporate career
Phua studied at Balestier Girls' Primary School, Raffles Girls' School and Hwa Chong Junior CollegeHwa Chong Junior College
Hwa Chong Junior College was a junior college in Singapore offering pre-university education. The college was founded in 1974 and merged with The Chinese High School on 1 January 2005 to form Hwa Chong Institution.-Founding:...
. She graduated from the National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Golden Gate University
Golden Gate University
Golden Gate University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in the South of Market district, immediately south of the Financial District of downtown San Francisco, California...
. In a career spanning two decades, she held management positions at Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
and the Wuthelam Group. She then founded a regional leadership training firm, the Centre of Effective Leadership.
Volunteer work
Her son was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. As Phua consulted professionals and did research on how to help him, she thought about how she could help other autistic children. She subsequently founded WeCAN, a charity which helps caregivers of autistic people and offers early intervention programmes for autistic preschoolers.In 2005, Phua left the corporate world to be a full-time special needs volunteer. She and her partners sold the Centre of Effective Leadership to Right Management, a Manpower Inc.
Manpower Inc.
ManpowerGroup is a workforce solutions and services provider company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It was established by Elmer Winter and Aaron Scheinfeld in 1948. It was acquired by Blue Arrow of Britain in 1987, but became independent again in 1991.The directors include...
subsidiary. Phua then became president of the Autism Resource Centre (Singapore)
Autism Resource Centre (Singapore)
Autism Resource Centre is a non-profit organisation in Singapore.Started by volunteers, ARC aims to highlight the needs of individuals with an autism spectrum disorder and provide a spectrum of services that helps them maximise their fullest potential and lead meaningful lives in society.ARC...
. She often wrote to newspapers and government agencies on issues affecting the special needs community.
Phua was co-founder and former acting principal of Pathlight School
Pathlight School
Pathlight School is a special school for high-functioning autistic children, located in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore. Founded in 2004, it is run by the non-profit Autism Resource Centre, and comprises one half of the national educational provision for autistic children...
, the first special school for autistic children in Singapore. The school offers mainstream curriculum and life skills education to its students. A believer in helping autistic people realise their potential and integrate into society, Phua helped develop many of the school's programmes. These include employability skills training through a student-run café, specialised vocational training, and satellite classes where Pathlight students mix with mainstream students. In four years, enrolment increased tenfold and the school attracted media attention for its impact on students.
Political career
Phua joined the ruling PAP's Jalan Besar branch in 2004. The following year, she was appointed to the Feedback Supervisory Panel, which leads the government's Feedback Unit. In the 2006 general election, she was fielded as a PAP candidate in Jalan Besar GRC, which was contested by the Singapore Democratic AllianceSingapore Democratic Alliance
The Singapore Democratic Alliance is an alliance of political parties in Singapore. The SDA was formed shortly before the 2001 general election to provide a common grouping under which different opposition parties could stand as a united front in elections against the ruling People's Action Party...
. During the election campaign, she promised to make Singapore a more inclusive society by representing the disabled and special needs communities. The PAP team won Jalan Besar GRC with 69.26% of the vote.
In July 2006, the PAP formed a workgroup, headed by Phua, to explore initiatives to improve the financial security of disabled and special needs children. Phua also led a committee that drew up a five-year plan to improve services for special needs children. The PAP studied their proposals and later implemented some, such as a National Non-Profit Special Needs Trust Fund. Laws were also drafted to prohibit abuse of the mentally disabled and to allow parents to appoint someone to look after their special needs children after they die.
Phua criticised the PAP's "many helping hands" approach, where social services are provided by charities and overseen by the PAP. She said that special education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
should be led by the Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education (Singapore)
The Ministry Of Education is a ministry of the Government of Singapore that directs the formulation and implementation of policies related to education in Singapore.-Statutory boards:...
(MOE), as it had more resources and expertise. Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan
Vivian Balakrishnan
Vivian Balakrishnan is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources....
defended the policy, arguing that it reduced bureaucracy and left jobs to the right people. However, the MOE agreed to play a more active role in special education, with increased funding and teacher training. The MOE also introduced more satellite classes in mainstream schools and helped special schools set targets for learning outcomes, such as O-Level passes.