Director General of Education, Mr Wee Heng Tin

Distinguished speakers and guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning. It is a pleasure to see so many of you, all committed to doing the best for our young children, gathered under one roof. This morning we witness the laying of a milestone in the development of pre-school education in Singapore. The launch of the Pre-school Curriculum Framework is the culmination of three years of concerted effort among ministry officials, industry players, academics and consultants in the field. This is, however, not the end, but the beginning of a new phase in the journey of pre-school education in Singapore.

All of us are here today because we know that the pre-school years are a critical period for the development of children. They are a foundation for our children’s future, for how they grow in their school years, and how they will contribute to building the society of the future. This is a good opportunity for me to talk about our aspirations for pre-school education and how each of us can contribute to improving the quality of Pre-school Education in Singapore.

This morning, let me give you an update of the various initiatives that we are embarked upon in pre-school education in Singapore. These initiatives draw on the collective wisdom of all concerned - policy makers and planners at MOE, working together with MCDS, principal and teachers, teacher educators at NIE, researchers and consultants. I am confident that we are taking steps in the right direction, and that they will raise the quality and make for a more vibrant pre-school sector. I have visited several of our kindergartens in the last year, and made it a point to visit some reputable kindergartens when on my overseas trips. These visits have reinforced my confidence in the initiatives we are undertaking.

What are these initiatives? MOE has reviewed how the Government can improve the quality of pre-school education in Singapore by focusing on areas where we can achieve high leverage, while keeping the provision of pre-school education in the hands of the private or community sector. We have identified five areas of high leverage, which are to:

• delineate the Desired Outcomes of pre-school education;
• develop a curriculum framework;
• conduct pilot research to study the benefits of pre-school education and the new curriculum;
• raise the standards of teacher training; and
• enhance the regulatory framework for kindergartens.

In year 2000, the Ministry of Education announced the Desired Outcomes of Pre-school Education. These are in alignment with the Desired Outcomes of Primary Education, so as to ensure continuity of objectives and a smooth transition in learning from the pre-school years into the early primary school years.

These Desired Outcomes were formulated carefully, in consultation with professionals and practitioners. They spell out what children should have acquired at the end of their kindergarten education. It is a set of outcomes reflecting values, attitudes and skills. The emphasis is on the whole development of the child, focusing especially on his ability to relate to others, to communicate, to have an intrinsic interest in learning, and on his physical development.

We should not be preparing children in the pre-school years for primary school, by anticipating and prefiguring the primary school curriculum. The pre-school years are crucial in themselves.

Basic academic skills such as reading, writing and number or mathematical skills are important, and are not to be overlooked in the preschool years. But they should not displace the development of broader cognitive skills among young children, such as the ability to ask questions, to begin thinking for themselves, to explore and to sort out puzzles. They should also not be pursued to the detriment of other domains that are equally important in the early years, in the areas of a child's moral, social, emotional and physical development.

Some parents may say, "This is well and good, but how does it prepare my child for primary school?" This is a natural concern, and it is indeed an important question for us to address. What does it mean to be "ready for school"? Does it mean mastering some of the Primary 1 syllabus by day 1 of school? No. To do so will be to raise the bar for children before they are ready for it. Equally important, it does not prepare them to clear greater heights as they grow older. Premature learning of the Primary 1 syllabus does not translate into being able to learn better when children get to their later primary years, let alone their secondary years.

Children who are ready for school are children who are eager to learn. They are confident of themselves, and willing to perservere. They are able to communicate easily with their teachers and classmates, make friends and know what it means to wait their turn and share what they have.

This is what we want for our children in the pre-school years, and this is what we have advocated in the new curriculum framework. During the pilot programme for the new MOE curriculum framework, we received feedback from parents whose children were on the programme. Some observed that their children were more eager to learn about new things than in the past. They tended to be more curious about their surroundings. They asked more questions at home.

We have to convey the message to parents that their children will be best prepared for learning in school if they develop this curiosity and eagerness to learn during their pre-school years. In your interactions with parents, assure them that you are nurturing their children holistically, because it will help them in their future development. Parents should not be concerned if their children in kindergarten are not spending time memorising for spelling tests or doing homework. Children should be given opportunity to explore and form ideas, to figure out problems for themselves, and to learn as they play. Another parent whose child was on the pilot programme indeed wrote that he was happy with its emphasis on encouraging children to explore and solve problems. He felt it was good because it helped to develop resourcefulness and independence at a young age.

As teachers or parents, we should also keep reminding ourselves that each child is unique and different - almost a cliché, but true. We should affirm the uniqueness of each child, and draw out his abilities. It will also be unrealistic to expect that all children will arrive at the same point just because they have been through the same pre-school programme. Primary 1 teachers recognize that pupils are different and adopt strategies that are appropriate for them. Our schools have programmes that cater to these differences, such as the Learning Support Programme for Primary 1 and 2 children.

The second initiative for uplifting the quality of kindergarten education is the development of a model curriculum. Not a few of our kindergartens tend to be too focused on the 3Rs, are too didactic in their approach to teaching, and put their children through repetitious exercises and worksheets.

The MOE curriculum framework is built upon the Desired Outcomes of Pre-school Education. The published curriculum you see today incorporates the feedback of pre-school educators. This new curriculum framework was field tested at pre-school centres between Jan 2001 to Nov 2002.

The curriculum framework is underpinned by 6 key principles. These 6 principles are widely recognised internationally, as essential for children to learn well and gain confidence at an early age. In a nutshell, the new curriculum focuses on developing the child holistically, on learning through play and experimentation, and on interaction with the teacher. Let me briefly highlight the main features.

The first two principles emphasise the holistic development of children, through integrated learning. Every aspect of a child's development should be recognised and valued - their aesthetic and creative expression, their skills in language, literacy and numeracy, their motor skills, their awareness of themselves, as well as of the environment around them. We should also, as far as possible, allow them to learn these skills in an integrated way, through activities that develop several skills at the same time, rather than by putting each skill in a separate learning compartment. Research internationally shows that at the pre-school age, children learn best in this way.

The next two principles emphasise children as active learners, and learning through play. Learning is most effective when children are actively involved and engaged in carrying out tasks that they find meaningful.

We must take advantage of children’s natural inclination to learn through play. Play allows them not just to have a whale of a time, but encourages them to discover, take a few risks, and make mistakes. It allows them to care for each other, and express their feelings. Much of this takes place in spontaneous play. But opportunities for structured play will also serve to develop a range of skills, such as creativity, listening and speaking skills. They allow children to be involved in organising, practising, and working together for goals.

One of the parents whose child was in our pilot preschool programme remarked that the new curriculum made learning meaningful because it was fun and creative. He thought the element of playful learning was effective in helping the child remember and apply concepts and life skills.

The last two principles in the curriculum framework emphasise the role of adults - teachers and parents - as supporters in learning. They emphasise the importance of interaction with children.

Children at this impressionable age look up to their teachers. The teacher is central in organising, facilitating, guiding and extending the learning of children. However, there is a range of theories and approaches, on how teachers should interact with children, to best help them learn. We should avoid a black and white view of these different pedagogical approaches, and avoid rushing headlong in one direction or another. There is scope in some situations, and for some pupils more than others, for a teacher-led, didactic approach, with the teacher leading pupils in structured question and answer lessons. But there is also need for the teacher-facilitated approach to learning, where the teacher provides children with opportunities to explore and discover things for themselves, and even to initiate their own activities.

Teachers should be well informed of these different pedagogical approaches, and decide on the combination of approaches that is best suited to extend and enrich the learning experiences of their pupils. The perceptive and skilful teacher will be able to draw on different approaches, depending on the purpose of the lesson, and even during the same lesson. Teachers may choose to guide children by asking them questions, providing them information and encouraging them to reflect on it, to ask their own questions, to draw their own inferences, and to report their observations.

At the same time that the new curriculum was piloted, a research study was conducted to evaluate the impact of the new curriculum and teacher training on pupils.

The Pilot Research Study was undertaken over a two-year period, beginning in 2001, and completed at the end of 2002. There are a few key findings.

First of all, the findings indicated very clearly that the new, developmentally appropriate curriculum led to significant improvement in children’s problem-solving and social skills. There was also evidence of positive impact on some aspects of English Language skills.

Second, the improvements were most marked among children from lower socio-economic and non-English speaking backgrounds. They benefited more from the new curriculum than the existing curriculum in terms of their listening and language processing skills, problem solving skills and social skills.

The research findings suggest that the new pre-school curriculum, with its focus on holistic development, interaction and experimentation, provides a richer learning environment for pupils, and that it provides particular benefit to pupils from lower socio-economic and non-English speaking backgrounds.

Let me now turn to the fourth area that we consider essential for the improvement of pre-school education, and in many ways the most important area. This is the area of teacher development. Whether children will be confident and motivated learners will depend on the quality of their teachers - whether teachers can stimulate their curiosity, and ignite in them a love of learning.

In Dec 2000, MOE announced that all kindergarten principals would be required to obtain the Diploma in Pre-School Education (Leadership) by 2006. By 2008, one in four teachers will be required to obtain the Diploma in Pre-School Education (Teaching), and all other teachers to have Certificates in Pre-school Teaching. These requirements will help raise the professional competence and standing of pre-school educators in Singapore.

As a country, we need to have quality teachers at all levels. Pre-school teachers should be knowledgeable and care about all aspects of their pupils’ development. They should be proficient and fluent in language so as to interact effectively with children, and so that good language habits rub off. They must be able to provide the scaffolding for their children to build their learning on. [For example, teachers get children to first focus on an area or topic, and then extend their understanding through a series of questions and conversations.] Finally, an effective pre-school teacher must be able to plan well, both in the sense of sequencing topics or lessons, as well as planning a lesson itself to achieve the outcomes desired.

With further professional development, you will be better equipped for such a role. The curriculum in the pre-school centres involved in the pilot research study was delivered by teachers who had all had certificate training. Over and above that, they had been helped to develop pedagogical skills in delivering the new curriculum, in the spirit that it was intended to. The teachers who took part in the pilot study reported that they had grown professionally as a result of their involvement and participation. They expressed immense satisfaction and pride in being able to teach their children well.

The findings of the research study indicate that teachers well trained in the educational principles as well as pedagogical approaches of the model curriculum will be able to add value to their pupils’ learning. Experience in teaching is an asset, and we should never underestimate the value of an experienced teacher. However, experience by itself is not sufficient. Training helps teachers, young or experienced, to anchor practice in sound educational principles. It helps the teacher to become a more thinking educator, to understand better what ought to be taught and how it should be taught.

Another key finding of the research was that diploma-trained teachers showed greater improvement as a result of their training, in their ability to have quality interaction with pupils. The diploma-trained teachers also collaborated more with their colleagues and worked more closely with parents of their pupils.

We are making good progress in teacher training, but there is a lot of work ahead. Of the over 3000 kindergarten teachers currently registered with MOE, 6% have a Diploma or higher qualifications. More than one third (37%) are certificate trained. The remaining half or more (57%) is either undergoing training or waiting to be trained. PCF, which is the largest kindergarten provider and accounts for 75% of children in K1 and K2, has a 5-year rolling plan to upgrade its teachers through certificate and diploma training. I understand that all PCF teachers will also be trained in delivering the revised curriculum over the next few years.

Let me now touch on the last area of focus in our efforts to uplift quality, and that is the enhancement of the regulatory framework for kindergartens. How do we ensure that new quality standards are implemented in the kindergartens?

I would first like to reiterate that MOE does not intend to take over the pre-school education sector. The provision of pre-school education should remain in the hands of the private and community sectors. This way, we can ensure diversity and experimentation in pre-school education, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Diversity will encourage innovation.

MOE is leveraging up standards by introducing its broad desired outcomes and new curriculum framework for a pre-school education, and by raising teacher qualification requirements in all kindergartens. The new curriculum framework is not prescriptive in details, so as to allow pre-school centres to shape their own practices to meet the needs of their pupils.

In raising the quality and standards of pre-school education, the Government will therefore not be heavy-handed. We are currently reviewing the legislation necessary for regulation of pre-school education, and a Kindergarten Education Bill will be introduced in Parliament within a few months. The Bill will reflect the importance of having qualified teachers and having a sound curriculum. Kindergartens and childcare centres will be given ample time to bring themselves up to the requirements of the new regulations.

Taken as a whole, the new curriculum framework is a clear and useful guide for classroom practice as much as it is for teacher education. In your skilful hands you will be able to tweak and adapt it, and fashion a creative curriculum that meets the needs of your pupils. It is for you to use it as a tool, to innovate and find new ways to excite your pupils.

We are poised for a new stage of advancement in pre-school education in Singapore. We will see better things to come for our children. They will face a different future, a future that we cannot begin to predict, but a future that will be abundant with both challenge and opportunity.

We must give all our children a headstart in preparing for this future. We must nurture them in their early years to be innovative, to be flexible, and to have a passion for learning that takes them through life. All of us here today have a role to play. Let us work together to allow our children to create a future we can all take pride in.

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