Ms Peggy Zee, an education consultant with 40 years of experience and a specialisation in supporting children with learning challenges, noted that there has been more emphasis placed on a child’s pre-school years in the last decade.

In tandem with this is the awareness of the importance of early intervention for children with special needs, so they have a better chance at being well-adjusted and adapting to the demands of mainstream formal schooling, she said.

She also emphasised the long-term benefits of inclusive education from a young age: “Young children have not learnt to be segregated in their pre-school years, and hence they are more accepting of all people in general. Cultivating such a positive mindset at a young age ensures a more cohesive society that accepts all people.”