Anchor operator pre-school teachers' salaries being reviewed: Masagos 

SINGAPORE: The salaries of pre-school teachers are being reviewed, Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli said on Monday (Aug 29).

"We are at a stage of reviewing them, particularly focusing right now on the anchor operators," Mr Masagos said. 

While he did not provide specifics, revised salaries have to be "competitive enough to retain the talent and attract new talent into the sector", he said. 

The ministry - which oversees the pre-school sector under the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) - hopes to make an announcement "as soon as we can", said Mr Masagos.

"It is a matter of necessity that reviews of salaries and expectations are made and we are doing just that," he said on the sidelines of a visit to a pre-school ahead of Teachers' Day which falls on Sep 2.

"If we do not adjust according to the times and needs of the industry, we will lose the talents to other industries." 

There are five anchor operators listed on the ECDA website: PCF Sparkletots Preschool, My First Skool, M.Y World Preschool, School4Kidz and E-Bridge Pre-school. 

While remuneration satisfaction is an area that is "poorly scored" in general by people, salaries have to be viewed objectively, he said. Pay has to be commensurate with the work done, he added. The pre-school sector needs to continue to be attractive, he added. 

His assurance that salaries are being looked at comes after a recent announcement by the Ministry of Education (MOE) that its teachers, allied educators and MOE kindergarten educators will receive a salary increase of 5 per cent to 10 per cent from Oct 1.

Ms Julie Chang, centre director of private pre-school operator Learning Kidz@Jubilee Square which Mr Masagos visited, said the teachers will be happy that salaries in their industry are being reviewed.

"A lot of things, the Government will introduce first, they will have a first go, then we (private operators) will follow subsequently," she said. 

Her school reviews salaries annually, she said. 

Mr Masagos also spoke about how his ministry has also been focusing on other aspects of teachers' welfare like workplace safety, including lighting and height of furniture. 

"In an early childhood environment, they tend to sit on the floor a lot or on short chairs and this may not be good for their heath, so we are relooking at all the ergonomics that will help them," he said. 

Another area the ministry is looking at is mental well-being, he added. 

"A happy teacher, a well-trained teacher will also mean a happy child and well-developed child," he said.