Minister fears 'luxury good' mentality if price is used as signal of quality
By Kezia Toh & Janice Tai, The Straits Times, 6 Oct 2012
That is why apart from price, the childcare sector must have "clear quality benchmarks" to help ensure programmes remain mass market and affordable, said Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing.
Speaking on the hotly discussed topic at an annual childcare seminar at the Singapore Expo yesterday, the minister sought to allay parents' concerns that quality childcare education was increasingly becoming a privilege for wealthy Singaporeans.
He said that while the Government cannot prevent parents from seeking out "higher benchmarks", it would do its part to ensure there are "sufficient mass market options" that are both of a high quality and affordable to the average family.
"I hope not to see the majority of our centres catering only to a specific segment of society," Mr Chan told about 1,000 people at the seminar. "That will risk aggravating social segregation, which certainly cannot be one of our desired outcomes."
To that end, the minister yesterday announced the launch of a new Continuing Professional Development Framework for the sector, a resource guide for childcare teachers to hone their skills.
The guide follows two other frameworks introduced in recent years to set standards in the industry: The Singapore Pre-School Accreditation Framework (Spark), which sets criteria in areas such as teacher training and curriculum; and the Early Years Development Framework, which outlines standards for quality care for infants and toddlers.
To that end, the minister yesterday announced the launch of a new Continuing Professional Development Framework for the sector, a resource guide for childcare teachers to hone their skills.
The guide follows two other frameworks introduced in recent years to set standards in the industry: The Singapore Pre-School Accreditation Framework (Spark), which sets criteria in areas such as teacher training and curriculum; and the Early Years Development Framework, which outlines standards for quality care for infants and toddlers.
In his call for parents to discern quality programmes using factors other than just price, the minister also reminded childcare operators of their "duty of care" - to provide sound advice and not push unnecessary products.
They should also be inclusive, and take in children of different races, religions, socio-economic backgrounds and special needs, Mr Chan said.
There are currently about 500 kindergartens and some 900-plus childcare centres in Singapore run by a wide variety of operators, from companies to religious groups and community-based bodies, such as the PAP Community Foundation and NTUC.
Fees range from $55 to more than $2,000 a month, and some parents have come to equate higher fees for a higher quality education - better teachers or smaller class sizes, for example.
To address concerns on the quality and affordability of these programmes, the Government has said it would set up a statutory board to oversee the sector, give better training to teachers, and rope in more anchor operators.
Responding to Mr Chan's comments, private operators which offer high-end pre-school programmes agreed that price should not be an indication of quality.
"There is no strong correlation that expensive programmes produce better outcomes," said Ms Sally May Tan, chief executive of Knowledge Universe South-east Asia, an education firm that oversees Pat's Schoolhouse, among other pre-schools in Singapore.
But quality programmes do cost more, she added.
Said Mr Seet Lee Kiang, general manager of Kinderland Educare Services: "We spend about 3 to 5 per cent of our revenue on research and development for our programmes, not to mention the cost of high-calibre teachers."
Others, like Dr T. Chandroo, chief executive of Modern Montessori International, acknowledged that early signs of social segregation may be emerging. "The lower strata cannot afford to go to pricier centres, which offer different programmes," he said.
The $100 v $1,000 difference
Do higher fees really mean better-quality facilities and teachers?
By Kezia Toh, The Straits Times, 6 Oct 2012
Do higher fees really mean better-quality facilities and teachers?
By Kezia Toh, The Straits Times, 6 Oct 2012
PARENTS are paying starkly different prices for their children's early years: Those who send their pre-schoolers to an EtonHouse centre pay over $1,500 a month for a full-day kindergarten programme. Those at mass market ones like NTUC's My First Skool pay less than half of that.
Yesterday, Acting Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister Chan Chun Sing voiced his concerns about pre-schools becoming a "luxury good problem", where pricier programmes are perceived to be better.
Does money buy quality in early childhood education and childcare? Some parents may think so. Experts say higher fees may mean better facilities, but it is the teachers that really matter.
"It is how the teacher relates to children that builds the relationship and makes them respond to learning," said Dr Christine Chen, 62, founder and president of the Association for Early Childhood Educators.
Mr Philip Koh, 49, an early childhood trainer and consultant, said some parents may feel the high-end centres are better because they still associate mass market operators, such as PAP Community Foundation (PCF), with rote learning.
But programmes offered by these operators have evolved over the years, said Mr Koh. For instance, they are now focusing more on learning through play.
At the PCF centre at Block 824 in Woodlands Street 81, for example, there is no homework or tests. But parents may still think children learn by rote - a remnant of PCF centres of old, said the centre's principal Mak Kit Leng, 44.
Some parents also have the misconception that lower fees mean their children are taught by untrained teachers, said Dr Nirmala Karuppiah, an early childhood lecturer from the National Institute of Education.
All new teachers are now required to have at least an early childhood diploma.
Experts, however, acknowledge that some of the pricier centres may have the financial advantage of hiring more teachers - and better qualified ones too.
At Brighton Montessori, which charges $850 to $1,275 a month for a Kindergarten 2 half-day programme, teachers track the learning curve of each pupil. A teacher assigns each child a different activity according to his level, said its founder Connie Cho.
But pre-schools with less financial muscle can expect some help. The Government has said it would set up a statutory board to oversee pre-school education and give better training to teachers.
But some feel how well a child learns may have more to do with what is taught at home. Said Mr Koh: "A higher-end preschool teacher really just needs to build on what is already encouraged at home - where children are expressive and well-spoken."
New guide to raise standards of childcare teachers
By Kezia Toh & Janice Tai, The Straits Times, 6 Oct 2012
By Kezia Toh & Janice Tai, The Straits Times, 6 Oct 2012
CHILDCARE teachers who want to be better qualified to do the job can tap a new resource to learn the skills they need.
The Continuing Professional Development Framework lists the skills teachers need to attain in order to ramp up their expertise.
Developed after focus group discussions with operators and teachers over the past two years and launched by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) yesterday, it is aimed at improving the quality of childcare programmes by encouraging teachers to upgrade themselves, the ministry said.
More than 1,000 childcare centres will receive the framework from next month. From next year, MCYS will also conduct workshops on how to use the guide for childcare centre supervisors.
More than 1,000 childcare centres will receive the framework from next month. From next year, MCYS will also conduct workshops on how to use the guide for childcare centre supervisors.
The guide is "a step towards better recognition" for childcare professionals, said Ms Jasmine Yeo, executive principal of My First Skool at Marine Terrace, adding that the trainers could also give advice on how to mentor and motivate new teachers.
Ms Sun Ying Jian, 40, who teaches at Pat's Schoolhouse in Meyer Road, said the resource should include career advice for Chinese-language teachers.
She said: "Most resources are in English, leaving out Mandarin teachers who wouldn't pursue training courses because they do not cater to us."
Ms Sun was one of six early childhood teachers honoured at the annual childcare seminar held yesterday at the Singapore Expo. Twenty awards were given out.
Related
The Child Care Seminar 2012
The Child Care Seminar 2012
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