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SINGAPORE: They are a minority group of educators but their numbers are growing slowly.
It's the love for children that keeps teachers like 38-year-old Marlina Sarkan on the job for the past 13 years.
"I feel young. I feel young at heart and the sense of satisfaction and achievement when the children learn something from you," said Marlina.
Marlina attends training courses under the Early Childhood Care & Education Workforce Skills Qualification programme offered at the Workforce Development Agency (WDA).
One of them is in the area of special needs.
Such courses are offered at Learning Capital College, an Approved Training Organisation of the Singapore Workforce Development Agency.
SEED Institute, a Continuing Education and Training Centre which was set up last year aims to train about 1,600 people over three years and there has been relatively strong appeal, with 800 people taking up the courses so far.
Industry players say with the economy picking up, it is harder to grow the talent pool within the early childhood sector as job seekers have wider employment choices. And they say this may pose a bigger manpower crunch in the future as the government plans to roll out to add more childcare centres in the next few years.
Knowledge Universe, which operates 38 pre-schools in Singapore, says more can be done to attract men and mature applicants.
But the company, which has some 800 teachers, has been able to retain teachers, with an attrition rate of less than 10 per cent.
It attributes this to constant and open communication with teachers and a strong understanding of their needs. - CNA/fa
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