New upgrading programme for childcare teachers
Pre-schoolers at Little Footprints Schoolhouse learning English. TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE — Amid efforts to provide more development opportunities for early childhood professionals, a new three-year upgrading programme will be offered to experienced kindergarten and childcare teachers, Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing said today (March 13).
Targeted at teachers with at least three years of experience, the Professional Development Programme will equip them with the competencies needed to take on larger job roles and realise their potential, Mr Chan told Parliament during his ministry’s debate on its budget.
“Teachers, nominated by their employers, will undergo certifiable training and receive monetary incentives at key programme milestones to recognise their skills and encourage them to stay in the sector,” he added.
The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) will also explore how it can facilitate a system to give teachers more opportunities and time to attend training, said Mr Chan.
For example, this could involve setting up a register, similar to the Education Ministry’s system for relief teachers, so that teachers can set aside time for upgrading courses, he added.
Further consultations will be held over the coming months and the Professional Development Programme will be rolled out progressively from the first quarter of next year, said the ECDA. More details will be released later this year.
The sector currently has about 14,000 educarers and teachers. It will need another 1,500 more professionals to meet the needs of the additional childcare places in 2017, noted Mr Chan.
On Thursday, Members of Parliament Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC) and Dr Janil Puthucheary (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) noted the importance of attracting and retaining staff, while Mr Ang Hin Kee (Ang Mo Kio GRC) asked for an update on the efforts to attract more individuals into joining the early childhood sector.
Mr Chan said today that the ECDA is working with the Singapore Workforce Development Agency to jointly develop the Early Childhood Singapore Skills Framework to provide a more structured framework to groom teachers in the sector.
The first batch of ECDA Fellows — exemplary professionals in the sector — will be appointed this year. These individuals will create a fraternity, uplift quality, act as role models and mentors for the sector, he added.
While salaries have been improving in the sector, Mr Chan said, he hopes to see further improvements as the progress has been uneven.
