SETTING UP OF PRE-SCHOOL CENTRES AND UPBRINGING OF CHILDREN

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SETTING UP OF PRE-SCHOOL CENTRES AND UPBRINGING OF CHILDREN: 4.

Mr Zainudin Nordin asked the Minister for Education if there are further concrete plans to ensure standard and basic requirements of setting-up a pre-school centre, especially in terms of (i) quality of staff, their qualifications and training and (ii) child-teacher ratio.

5.

Mr Zainudin Nordin asked the Minister for Education how the Government assists in changing the beliefs and attitudes of some parents with regard to the upbringing of their children since it is a key element in early childhood development.

The Minister of State for Education (Mr Chan Soo Sen) (for the Minister for Education): Sir, can I have your permission to answer Question Nos. 4 and 5 together, because they are related?

Mr Speaker: Please do.

Mr Chan Soo Sen: Thank you, Sir.

Sir, the Ministry of Education (MOE) registers kindergartens if they meet the basic requirements in safety, land-use, hygiene, curriculum and teacher qualifications. Since 2001, the minimum qualifications for kindergarten teachers have been three 'O' level credits or

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equivalent and a Certificate in Pre-school Teaching. And the three 'O' level credits must include English Language or Mother Tongue Language for Mother Tongue teachers.

To raise the quality of pre-school professionals, MOE, in December 2000, announced that all kindergarten principals would be required to obtain a Diploma in Pre-school Education - Leadership by January 2006. In October 2001, MOE further announced that all teachers would be required to have Certificate in Pre-school Teaching by January 2008 and one in four teachers would be required to obtain the Diploma in Pre-school Education - Teaching.

Pre-school operators are responding to these MOE's requirements by sending their staff for training. Progress in the last three years has been encouraging. In January 2004, out of the total number of 3,438 pre-school teachers, 2,216 (64.5%) have received certificate or diploma training. With 1,160 teachers currently undergoing training, by the end of this year, 84% of pre-school teachers will have been trained at certificate or diploma level. These new standards, when fully in place from January 2008 onwards, will have a positive impact on the quality of education in the kindergartens.

To further expand teachers' capability to bring about quality learning outcomes, the Ministry has been conducting workshops, seminars and sharing of best practices for kindergarten teachers and principals. This wide range of professional development opportunities promotes continuous learning among pre-school professionals and, we believe, is an important part of the Ministry's effort to enhance the quality of kindergartens.

Besides the quality of the teachers, MOE recognises that the extent of individualised attention given to the

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children also has an impact on the quality of the pre-school experience. Hence, the Ministry has recommended the following teacher-pupil ratio:

Nursery: 1 teacher and 1 teacher-aide to 15 pupils

Kindergarten 1: 1 teacher to 20 pupils

Kindergarten 2: 1 teacher to 25 pupils

These recommended teacher-pupil ratios are stated in the Kindergarten Manual that has been distributed to all kindergartens. Presently, 83.2% of kindergartens have met these teacher-pupil ratios. Kindergartens in new housing estates tend to have teacher-pupil ratios that are higher than the recommended guidelines. These kindergartens have been advised by the Ministry to work towards meeting these ratios.

What happens in kindergartens, though important, is just one aspect of a child's development. What happens at home is equally important; in fact, some would say more important. Parents have a critical role to play in the upbringing of their children, and it is therefore important that they actively take up this challenge and raise their children well. We agree that it is necessary to help some parents understand the importance of developing children in a holistic manner. The best people who can explain this to the parents are the teachers and principals who come into contact with the parents regularly.

To support pre-school educators in their efforts to persuade parents, the Ministry has published and distributed a booklet called "Nurturing Early Learners". This booklet helps teachers and principals explain to parents what it means to prepare their children for lifelong learning. We have very good feedback on this booklet. Many kindergartens have

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purchased extra copies and have indicated that they will be using them for their orientation programmes at the end of this year or when giving talks to parents.

For children in child care centres, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) encourages strong centre-family partnerships in the holistic development of young children. This is achieved through a sense of shared responsibility and common vision amongst staff and families.

In the case of parents whose children are not in pre-schools, MCYS also partners community organisations such as maternity hospitals, libraries, family service centres, Voluntary Welfare Organisations and corporate Family Life Ambassadors as well as community self-help groups in the delivery of parenting programmes. These programmes empower and guide parents to take a proactive role in the proper upbringing and development of their children.

Mr Zainudin Nordin: Sir, may I know whether MOE has data on the number of children that do not attend pre-school? Secondly, what is the long-term impact on a child missing pre-school in the child's primary school education? Does MOE have any study on this?

Mr Chan Soo Sen: We do have data on students who missed pre-school. I do not have it with me because the Member did not ask the question. But I would say that the Ministry of Education does have various early intervention programmes in primary schools. For example, we have the Learning Support Programme where, at Primary 1, we identify pupils who are weak in language and Mathematics and we give them an enhanced programme. What happens is that we take these children out of the class and put them in a smaller group to give them special coaching.

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The experience of this programme has been very good. By the end of Primary 1, more than two-thirds would have reached the required standard and can catch up when they reach Primary 2. By the end of Primary 2, virtually all would have caught up.