PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION

PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION: 5.

Dr Lam Pin Min asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the proportion of Singaporean children who do not attend pre-school education; (b) whether there are any data or statistics to show the benefits of pre-school education or a direct correlation to future academic performance; and (c) whether there is a need to make pre-school education compulsory.

6.

Dr Lily Neo asked the Minister for Education whether he will consider subsidies for pre-school education for children from lower-income families so as to give these children the opportunity to level up.

7.

Mrs Josephine Teo asked the Minister for Education (a) if he will provide an update on the number of pre-school education providers in Singapore; and (b) if the Ministry plans to issue guidelines on the fees charged by providers of pre-school education services.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education (Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M) (for the Minister for Education): Mr Speaker, Sir, allow me to address Question Nos. 5, 6 and 7 together. The three Questions relate to

Column: 1358

the pre-school education scene, benefits of pre-school education, and opportunities to level up.

The pre-school landscape in Singapore is diverse, with various community and private organisations providing a variety of pre-school education programmes to cater to different needs and expectations. As at 1st January 2007, there are altogether 1,210 kindergartens and childcare centres offering pre-school education. Of these, 492 (40.4%) are kindergartens and the rest are childcare centres. This diversity provides choice for parents to select the most appropriate pre-school education in accordance to their needs and preferences.

Recent international research suggests that the early childhood years are a sensitive period in which a child's future development can be influenced. Our own data at MOE indicates that pre-school education is particularly helpful in allowing children from low-income families and non-English speaking families to catch up with their peers.

Indeed, the vast majority of parents already recognise the value of pre-school education. We estimate that roughly 95% of children have received formal pre-school education. Given this attendance rate and the real choice parents have from a diversity of the pre-school options available, MOE does not see a need to make pre-school education compulsory.

MOE is therefore targeting its efforts at continuing to uplift the quality of pre-school education, particularly for children from lower-income backgrounds. Several measures to improve quality have been introduced over the years by MOE, such as developing a curriculum framework, introducing training, qualification requirements for teachers, and accrediting teacher training courses.

Column: 1359

MOE is also working with MCYS, the People's Association and the self-help groups in a coordinated effort to reach out to the small number of families, ie, the 5% that I mentioned just now, who do not already send their children to pre-school and to persuade them to do so. The success of these joint and targeted efforts will, we hope, have a significant impact on this group of children.

MOE and MCYS provide operators with guidelines on making fee revisions, but do not control their fees. For example, pre-schools intending to raise their fees are advised to provide adequate notice to parents about their fee revision plans.

There are a variety of financial assistance schemes in place to help children from lower-income families. MCYS provides a fee subsidy under its Kindergarten Financial Assistance Scheme (KiFAS). Families which cannot afford the initial costs related to sending their children to kindergarten may also be considered for a Start-up Grant (SUG) of up to $200 per child per year. For low-income families with children enrolled in childcare centres, there is also the Centre-based Financial Assistance Scheme for Childcare (CFAC) if mothers are also working. Low-income families can receive up to $300 in childcare subsidies per month.

For those who need further help, community-based support is available through the grassroots organisations and self-help groups. For example, CDAC and MENDAKI provide additional financial assistance to needy families under the Pre-School Assistance and Support Scheme (PASS) and Education Trust Fund (ETF) initiatives respectively. Advisers and grassroots leaders can also tap on the Citizens’ Consultative Committees' (CCC)

Column: 1360

Welfare and Education Fund, and the ComCare Fund to assist their residents who need financial support to send their children to pre-school.

Our primary schools are doing good work to help children catch up and realise their potential, regardless of their initial starting point, whether or not they have attended pre-school. From this year, the enhanced Learning Support Programme (LSP) will be rolled out to all Primary schools, starting with the Primary 1 children. The enhanced LSP provides a more customised support for children to improve their basic early reading skills. Similarly, additional support in Mathematics for P1 pupils has also been introduced in all schools this year. Many schools continue to provide customised support for children needing help in English and Mathematics beyond Primary 2. Hence, support for these children does extend beyond the pre-school years.

The rigorous primary school curriculum, coupled with support programmes, builds strong foundations for our children to go on to secondary and post-secondary education.

Dr Lily Neo: Mr Speaker, Sir, may I ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary how committed is MOE in wanting to help children from disadvantaged families to get pre-school education? Has there been any evaluation done to ascertain what are the measures that need to be taken to ensure that these children do get help? Is it not very important for us to try our best to give these children a better change in life in getting out of their social status? Why is MOE reluctant to give free education for these children in order to remove one of the most important hurdles, ie, financial, for these families?

Mr Speaker: Dr Neo, please keep your views to yourself about reluctance. Just ask the question.

Column: 1361

Dr Lily Neo: I will rephrase that. Will MOE consider free education in order to remove one of the most important hurdles, ie, financial assistance for these families? As the SPS earlier said that these children can tap financial schemes, such as KiFAS and others for financial assistance, am I not correct to say that these schemes are in fact limited and they only provide temporary and partial assistance and, therefore, do not solve the problems? Lastly, am I not correct to say that a $48-million opportunity fund has been set up to help children in schools to level up by paying for their co-curricular opportunities, such as going for overseas trips? If so, why can MOE not prioritise the more important and basic pre-school education for these children?

Mr Speaker: You are making speeches again, Dr Neo.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Mr Speaker, Sir, I will re-emphasise that the MOE is committed to the pre-school scene, although the efforts are directed at this point of time and emphasis is given in helping to level up the children who are needy. So, it may be indirect in the form of curriculum and teacher upgrading, where they go most, and it is also more directed to the students in need in terms of financial assistance schemes. I do not believe that the ground reflects that the schemes are inadequate. I think we need to go for more.

The Many-Helping-Hands scheme that MCYS has put in place would be adequate to meet the needs of the children at hand.

However, I believe the review to see whether these schemes are adequate or not will continue to be a process that MCYS as well as inputs from MOE will continue to have.

Mrs Josephine Teo (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Sir, my views are slightly different from Dr Neo. For a start, instead of making

Column: 1362

pre-school education free, could we consider making pre-school education as affordable as primary school education, given that the Ministry recognises the value of pre-school education, particularly for lower-income families?

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Mr Speaker, Sir, my answer remains the same. It is a targeted approach. It is a question of how we target our approach, giving subsidies to everybody or giving financial aid to those who really need help. The structures and the schemes are already available through the KiFAS, the self-help groups as well as other schemes under the CCC or other conditions that may be able to help this group of children.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad (Hong Kah): I would like to take this beyond the welfare portion. Where does the Government then stand on when compulsory education or even fundamental education should be funded by the Government start? Should it be at K1 or P1? The amount of resources that you are putting in seems to be moving into pre-school as well. Should pre-school education be Government-funded, the way we fund primary education, for example?

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: It is certainly not the same, the way funding is given. The funding for primary education is quite separate from compulsory education. Compulsory education compels people to attend school. It does not actually mean free education. So it is quite a separate issue altogether. The funding for pre-school is targeted at this point of time for the primary needs of those in need as well as to upgrade the skills of the teachers in the industry. So there have been a lot of efforts to put in resources to upgrade the teachers' skills, qualifications as well as the curriculum framework to help all children attending pre-school education to attain the same good standards for all.