Estimated Costs and Manpower Requirements to Reduce Anchor Operator Preschool Staff-child Ratios and Reviewing Sector-wide Job Redesign

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what are ECDA's estimates, if any, of the additional educators and annual costs required to lower Kindergarten 1 and 2 ratios in Anchor Operator preschools from 1:20 and 1:25 to 1:15 and 1:20 respectively; and (b) whether the sector-wide job redesign project will examine staff-child ratios.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The staff-child ratio requirements are minimum requirements to ensure the safety and well-being of children. In practice, many operators operate at staff-child ratios below these minimum requirements in order to maintain operational flexibility and respond to the varied needs and demands on the ground.

The focus of the sector-wide job redesign project is to strengthen the sector's long-term manpower resilience by enhancing the overall value proposition of an early childhood career and improving educators' daily work experience. This will include a review and analysis of current preschool operating models, including staffing norms, educator job scopes and work processes.