Overview
Preschools and kindergartens indirectly affect economic development in the country; number of mothers in the workforce increases due to support from the sector
Being a country with no natural resources other than its own people, Singapore depends solely on educated individuals who aid with economic development. Due to this reason, education is given high importance by its citizens.
The pre-school education sector in Singapore consists of the kindergarten and child care sectors. Licensed by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), the childcare sector assists working mothers by providing care and education for children between the ages of two months and six years. The kindergarten sector is run by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and provides education for children between the ages of four and six years.
The early childhood care and education (ECCE) sector in Singapore has 36 kindergartens run by the MOE and 1,900 preschools operating as a privatized industry. The country has given importance to the sector mainly due to the fact that it supports working mothers and is a means to prepare children for formal education. As per the Education Act in Singapore, kindergartens within the sector have to be registered with the MOE, upon the following guidelines: -
Approval of suitable premises that also follows health and safety protocols set by the MOE
Educational structure approved by the MOE
Principals and teachers reaching a certain standard in academic and professional qualifications
Meticulously structured management committee to manage the kindergarten
In general, the fee structure within the sector is comparatively low, yet financial assistance schemes have been introduced as a means to assist children from poor families and ensure that education is accessible to all. The measures taken for the development of the sector have been numerous, and abundant support has been provided by the government of Singapore.
Curriculum framework changes in pre-school and kindergarten sector; creativity, exploration and thematic approaches introduced
Initially, the pre-school and kindergarten sector focused solely on building academic skills through knowledge-based exercises and worksheets. But a change was later noted in Western-based educational systems, which began to divert their attention more towards play-based learning. Using songs, rhymes, stories, games and group activities, the system encouraged the development of life skills, critical thinking, creativity, independent exploration and problem-solving techniques. This change was also noted within the early childhood sector in Singapore as the MOE had begun to restructure its curriculum framework.
The kindergarten curriculum has evolved from a knowledge-based educational structure to one with more activity-based learning that encourages creativity and skill development. Early childhood educators are encouraged to use thematic-based curriculums that focus on environmental awareness, creative expression, self and social awareness, development of motor skills, and improved language and literacy. Workshops and seminars are conducted to assist educators to be more aligned with this new approach to educating young minds.
Key Trends
Measures undertaken to assist with education amidst a variety of obstacles; expenditure increased in assisting with safety protocols and providing technology for remote learning
During the initial stages of COVID-19, an incremental approach was followed by the government, and staggered breaks were introduced in schools along with the suspension of inter-school activities. Extra support was given by the government to preschools and kindergartens with regards to safety measures, which included sanitization of school premises on a regular basis.
With the pandemic increasing within the country, safety precautions grew and a blended learning structure was introduced temporarily, which ultimately resulted in a fully home-based learning model being implemented. This resulted in many students and families facing the usual obstacles that come with learning virtually.
Classrooms that provided a standard area to learn were now moved to homes. Students varied in their experience with learning at home due to the lack of resources such as computers, playgrounds and larger classroom spaces. Many students who lived with grandparents and younger siblings found virtual learning to be challenging and, at most times, difficult. Families with smaller living spaces also struggled to provide an adequate home-based learning environment.
In order to assist schools and students facing the challenges of virtual learning, the government introduced greater accessibility of electronic devices for students with financial difficulties. Government childcare centers were also reopened to assist working parents, especially those within the healthcare sector.
School schedules were adjusted in order to bring forward the holiday schedules and reduce the online learning period during the time period when COVID-19 was at its peak. As the waves of the pandemic reduced, the sector gradually increased physical attendance in schools, along with strict safety protocols and testing.
Industry moves towards improving the quality of education; more initiatives taken to increase standards of learning
The need for an improved standard of education within pre-schools and kindergartens depends on the quality of learning. Improving the quality of education provided to children would depend on elements such as the teacher-student ratio in classes, classroom experiences and interactions, teacher qualifications and the curriculum being utilized. The main two components that are necessary to enhance the learning experience are:
Maintaining a standardized baseline that is to be followed by all preschools and kindergartens
Improved pedagogy and delivery that would nurture a supportive teacher-student relationship
The MOE has endorsed special training accreditation schemes that could improve the teacher training capabilities of educators; however, this has resulted in many individuals selecting the quickest and easiest study pathways.
In order to standardize the training curriculum and create a more refined implementation of teaching methods, the National Institute of Early Childhood Development (NIEC) installed a degree of national standardization in 2019. Educators were also assessed against a quality assurance framework referred to as SPARK, which provided a rating scale for each preschool and kindergarten present in Singapore.
The sector noted that the undervaluing of jobs within the sector affected the quality of educators being brought into the industry. This caused the government of Singapore to introduce more traineeship postings and work attachments in order to attract more individuals into choosing a career in teaching. Another step taken by the ECDA (Early Childhood Development Agency) to address the undervaluation of ECCE practitioners was to introduce yearly awards from 2019 onwards, as a means of recognizing exemplary individuals in the industry.
Key Statistics
- In 2019, statistics showed that Singapore’s annual spending of SGD 1 billion on the early childhood education sector would double.
- Some 79,000 children in the infant and child care sector receive a sum of SGD 360 million as subsidies.
- In 2019, it was found that the average fees of a full day at a child care program was SGD 1,033.
- In 2019, it was found that child care centers increased by 40%.
- Statistics obtained in 2022 showed that the number of enrollments in child care centers from 2013 to 2021 increased from 86.12 to 147.9 (in thousands).
Top Singapore MNCs in Preschool & Kindergarten
BUSY BEES SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
Repeated as per client.
AMITY JUNIORS PTE. LTD.
Repeated as per client.
LITTLE FOOTPRINTS PRESCHOOL PTE. LTD.
Repeated as per client.
KIDDIWINKIE SCHOOLHOUSE PTE. LTD.
Repeated as per client.
MAPLEBEAR LEARNING CENTRE PTE. LTD.
Maple Bear Learning Centre, which is headquartered in Canada, has been operating in Singapore since 2013, offering preschool and kindergarten programmes. The school offers complete Canadian programmes utilizing Canadian methodology and curriculums. Aware of the value and advantages of raising bilingual children, the school encourages them to speak, read and write in both English and Mandarin. Maple Bear has been recognized as being the Best in Early Years Education Program on two separate occasions, in 2018/2019 and 2019/2020. More recently, Tatler Asia and Honeykids Asia listed the school as one of the Best of Singapore in 2022, andBest preschools in Singapore 2022, respectively.
Top Singapore Large Local Enterprises in Preschool & Kindergarten
ETONHOUSE PRE-SCHOOL PTE LTD
Repeated as per client.
KINDERLAND INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION PTE. LTD.
Repeated as per client.
PAP COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
PAP Community Foundation (PCF) was founded by the People’s Action Party (PAP) on 17th May 1986 as its charitable arm, and as an initiative to provide low-cost kindergarten education to develop Singaporeans socially and educationally. PCF was rebranded in 2014 as PCF Sparkletots with a new corporate logo for its preschool services, bringing all 360 PCF Sparkletots kindergartens and childcare centres under a centralized operation and management system. The Sparkletots Curriculum covers six learning domains including Social and Emotional Development, Numeracy, Language and Literacy, Motor Skills Development, Aesthetics, Creative Expression, and Discovery of the World.
GLOBAL INDIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PTE. LTD.
Repeated as per client.
MINDCHAMPS HOLDINGS PTE. LIMITED
Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Singapore, MindChamps Holdings is an early childhood education, enrichment and infant care provider. The SMILES components and the MindChamps curriculum are combined in preschool lessons, activities and games, including Mandarin sessions, to provide the children with a well-rounded educational experience. The educational industry in Singapore has recognized MindChamps with some of the most coveted honours. MindChamps has attained the Influential Brands Top Brands Award for seven consecutive years from 2014 to 2021, by Gen Y parents. Additionally, MindChamps has been granted Superbrands recognition by a reputable branding authority for eight years running.
STAR LEARNERS GROUP PTE. LTD.
Repeated as per client.
AGAPE LITTLE UNI. PTE. LTD.
Agape Little Uni., which was established in Singapore in 1995, is an ISO-certified academic institution that provides quality childcare and student care services. The school offers bilingual education, child care and infant care at affordable fees throughout the island. The institution's focus on character development led it to adopt and develop the Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) curriculum integrated with STREAM learning to help young learners to apply their knowledge and skills to real-world situations. Agape Little Uni. recently won recognition when it was conferred the 2021 ECDA Award.
GLOBAL EDUHUB PTE. LTD.
Founded in 1995, Global Eduhub is a private education business which is headquartered in Singapore. It is ranked as a top private childcare and preschool operator with more than 10 brands and 50 schools established across several nations. The Global Eduhub business is divided into five educational segments: infant care, childcare, student care, enrichment, and educational publishing. With numerous accolades to its name, including the Young Parents SG Parents' Choice Award, Parents World Best of the Best Preschool Award, and Singapore's Child Best Preschool Award, Global EduHub is well known for the cutting-edge programmes it offers.
NTUC FIRST CAMPUS CO-OPERATIVE LIMITED
Established in 1977, NTUC First Campus is a preschool operator that caters to children between the ages of 2 months to 4 years. In addition to providing preschool education, NTUC First Campus launched an after-school programme in 2016, in response to the demand from working parents for dependable, high-quality child care provided within primary schools. Today, NTUC First Campus has grown its network to over 160 childcare centres, two preschool brands, and nine primary-school-based student care centres island-wide. NTUC First Campus’ preschool brand, My First Skool, received the Singapore Pre-School Accreditation Framework (SPARK) certification and the Health Promoting Pre-School (HPPS) Accreditation.
Top Singapore SMEs in Preschool & Kindergarten
HOOPLA EDUCATION PTE. LTD.
Established in 2014, Hoopla Education offers nature-inspired programmes to preschoolers and pre-primary students between the ages of 3 to 8 years. The Garden Project is a project-based learning programme that uses the STEAM framework to investigate the life cycles of nature, while Sticks & Stones - a developmentally appropriate art curriculum - elaborates on a child’s journey of self-expression with age, as they learn to develop techniques using the basic elements of art. My Veggie Diary, an activity book focused on storytelling, develops early narrative skills in children aged 5 years and older. The activities teach children how to bring a story to life with puppets and multi-media activities.
LORNA WHISTON SCHOOLS PTE. LTD.
Repeated as per client.
LITTLE PADDINGTON PRESCHOOL SERANGOON PTE. LTD.
Founded in Singapore in 2015, Little Paddington Preschool Serangoon caters to children from 3 months to 6 years. The school's infant care programme offers a sensory-based curriculum which introduces children to learning experiences that help build their language skills, motor skills, emotional growth, and cognitive understanding of the world around them. The preschool programme incorporates age-appropriate activities immersed in an integrated English and Mandarin-speaking environment, which greatly helps in developing bilingual communication skills. The STEAM programme enables kindergarteners to make vital connections between everyday life and STEAM disciplines by exploring their surroundings through discovery, hands-on activities, and experimentation.
BLUE HOUSE INTERNATIONAL PTE. LTD.
Blue House International is a preschool and child care centre which was founded in Singapore in 2007. Its emergent curriculum enables children to receive small group experiences, project-based learning, a range of options for indoor and outdoor adventures, and flexible time frames that allow for research to create deeper connections. The school offers two playgroup programmes for children aged 6-18 months and 12-36 months. Blue House caters to children as old as 6 years. The children have access to art at all times and use it as a language to express their ideas, theories and feelings about the world around them.
JOSIAH ASSOCIATES PRIVATE LIMITED
Josiah Associates offers early childhood education to children from preschool to pre-primary level. Josiah Montessori was founded in Singapore in 1997. The preschool was established on Montessori principles, which focuses on independence, freedom within boundaries, and respect for a child's natural developmental requirements in terms of their psychological, physical and social well-being. The Josiah curriculum caters to children from 2 months to 6 years. The school has been awarded and featured in several guides, one of the most recent being the recognition it received in 2020 as one of the best Montessori preschools in Tampines by Singapore Three Best Rated.
SHAWS CDLC PRESCHOOL PTE. LTD.
Incorporated in Singapore in 1989, Shaws CDLC preschool offers early childhood education, catering to children from the age of 18 months to 6 years. Its educational programmes are based on SPARK guidelines and emphasize learning through play and adventure. The ShawsPlay curriculum enables children to take the lead by fusing inquiry-based learning with play-based pedagogical approaches. The play-based curriculum is S.T.E.A.M. integrated. The preschool’s core curriculum includes academic and non-academic components. The academic component prepares children for formal school, while the non-academic component comprises life skills that prepare them for life.
COCO-RO PTE. LTD.
Coco-Ro is a preschool and kindergarten which was founded in Singapore in 2018. Its curriculum consists of programmes through which children explore play, whileexercising the freedom to choose the activities on their own. Children can choose from play areas such as a socio-dramatic corner, art corner blocks corner, and more. Through scheduled monthly themes children are able to explore and build up their creativity. These themes include projects that involve art and crafts, songs and dances, gross motor, and other experiential activities. The school's special programmes focus further on English language and phonics, dramatic activities including stories or plays, gym activities, and art.
RAFFLES KIDZ INTERNATIONAL PTE. LTD.
Raffles Kidz International is a childcare centre and preschool which was founded in Singapore in 2014. It offers an inquiry-based curriculum along with a quality, innovative, bilingual learning environment. Raffles Kidz prepares children for primary school by fostering their enthusiasm for the core topics of English, Mandarin and Mathematics. Children are taught critical thinking and problem-solving skills, while enhancing their collaboration skills through team-based learning approaches. They learn through meaningful and purposeful play to develop their motor and social skills. The school has received several accolades, including Best Bilingual Preschool 2019, Top Preschool in Singapore 2021, and Singapore Prestige Class Award 2021/2022.
MY LEARNING HAVEN PRIVATE LIMITED
My Learning Haven (MLH) is a preschool that was founded in Singapore in 2018. The school’s bilingual learning environment offers education through the NTU Confucius Institute for Mandarin, and the Jolly Phonics system for English. MLH has embraced the Finnish educational system and the Nordic tradition of day-to-day design. In the MLH Playlab, sensory play builds a foundation for preschoolers to be able to work towards increasingly difficult tasks, supports language development, increases problem-solving abilities, and promotes cognitive development. Developing children's fine motor abilities while also introducing arithmetic and new skills in fun ways is important to MLH.
CATHOLIC PRESCHOOL EDUCATION (SINGAPORE) LTD.
Catholic Preschool Education (Singapore), which is commonly known as Little Shepherds' Schoolhouse (LSS), was founded in 2019. The comprehensive full-day or half-day programmes at LSS serves kids between the ages of 18 months and 6 years. Through six learning areas, the LSS Curriculum offers engaging learning opportunities to encourage children to become active learners. These areas include language and literacy, logical mathematics, aesthetics and creative expression, social and emotional development, motor sensory integration, and discovery and nature. Through the Little Shepherds’ Schoolhouse journey, the process of developing the habit of virtue is cultivated and developed. LSS offers a choice of 11 preschools islandwide.
Top Singapore Fastest-Growing Companies in Preschool & Kindergarten
RAFFLES KIDZ INTERNATIONAL PTE. LTD.
Repeated profile. Please refer to SME # 8.
SAIL PLAYHOUSE PTE. LTD.
SAIL Playhouse is a Singapore-based preschool which offers both half-day and full-day programmes. The preschool was founded in 2017, and caters to children between 18 months and 6 years. SAIL Playhouse offers a multi-sensory and hands-on creative curriculum, S.T.E.M.S. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Sustainability) Explorers Programme, comprehensive enriched programmes, and purposeful play. With the SAIL curriculum, each child gets the opportunity to actively explore and engage with their world while learning in interesting and meaningful ways. SAIL Playhouse has created a curriculum that accommodates many learning styles based on Howard Gardner's notion of multiple intelligences.
LORNA WHISTON SCHOOLS PTE. LTD.
Repeated as per client.
HEARTFIELD KINDERGARTEN PRIVATE LIMITED
Established in Singapore in 2013, Heartfield Kindergarten caters to children from their toddlerhood to pre-primary school level. The kindergarten’s theme-based curriculum emphasizes an exploration through outdoor activities and multi-sensory experiences, providing a delightful and purposeful early childhood experience. The multisensory Discovery Stations support the development of children’s language skills, mathematical concepts, aesthetic appreciation, and scientific inquiry and processes. Literature, ICT (information and communication technology), questions and dialogues are all used by teachers to support children's learning. Heartfield Kindergarten also offers extended programmes that include additional bilingual activities in Mandarin or English, such as speech and drama, maths games, art, and more.
BRAINFIT SCHOOL HOUSE PTE. LTD.
Founded in 2017, BrainFit School House is an ECDA-registered kindergarten in Singapore, which caters to children from 18 months to 6 years. BrainFitSchool House uses a science-based approach, including programmes developed and validated by research from Harvard, Stanford and MIT. Children are offered cognitive training to improve attention span, learning speed and memory through brain enrichment programmes. The school’s ACE MY BRAIN methodology enhances a child’s EQ while developing their emotional and social skills. An all-encompassing English and Mandarin curriculum is used to foster bilingualism. Integrating STEM into the curriculum improves students' creativity and analytical abilities, while BrainFit School House continuously reinforces numeracy and literacy skills.
KIZROO KINDERGARTEN PTE. LTD.
KiZroo Kindergarten was set up in Singapore in 2014. It is a bilingual kindergarten, which offers a comprehensive educational curriculum that uses the target languages of English and Japanese, as well as a brief introduction to Mandarin Chinese. KiZroo Kindergarten’s theme-based curriculum allows children to participate in a variety of fun and stimulating activities. The school offers support to the children in developing the three Key Elements of Imagination: imagination to understand other people’s feelings, imagination to recognize change over time, and 3-D imagination through multi-sensory activities such as playtime with wood, paper, sand, clay and blocks.
LODESTAR MONTESSORI PRESCHOOL PTE. LTD.
The Lodestar Montessori Preschool was founded in Singapore in 2018. The Montessori preschool caters to children aged 3-6 years, and is registered with the ECDA (Early Childhood Development Agency). Children are offered a Montessori Primary & Enrichment Program, which provides them with exposure to a prepared environment. This environment is focused on four distinct areas, including practical life activities which reflect the child's culture, sensory exercises that give the child the means by which he or she can organize the mind, and enable the child to identify minor differential inputs, language and numeracy.
PSSMK INTERNATIONAL PTE. LTD.
Paper Scissors Stone Montessori Kindergarten (PSSMK) International was founded in Singapore in 2003. PSSMK caters to children between the ages of 2.5 to 6 years. The school’s Montessori programme includes practical life exercises, sensorial exercises, the Montessori systematic graded phonic scheme, mathematics and general knowledge. PSSMK integrates indoor and outdoor spaces to create a planned work-learn-play environment that is homely, comfortable and relaxing, as well as being safe, hygienic, orderly and purposeful. The instructional environment and activities at the school are designed to broaden students' knowledge, and provide them with the chance to exercise their creativity and independent problem-solving skills.
QUAYSIDE ISLE PREPARATORY SCHOOL PTE. LTD.
Quayside Isle Preparatory School (QuIPS) was established in Singapore in 2013. QuIPS follows the UK National curriculum, which is organized into blocks of years aligned with the Early Years and KEY STAGE 1. The school caters to children from the ages of 18 months to 7 years. QuIPS is focused on outdoor learning through regular field trips. The school’s inquiry-based curriculum encourages every student to use their imagination and emerging language and motor skills to investigate and solve problems. A low student-teacher ratio ensures every child receives individualized attention and support throughout the school day.
GATE JUNIOR PTE. LTD.
Founded in Singapore in 2017, GATE Junior is a preschool programme for children between 3 and 8 years. The GATE Junior curriculum is based on the internationally acclaimed Gifted Education Program, which is designed to provide an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) for high-functioning children. It is a subsidiary of Gifted And Talented Education Group (GATE), which offers children with high ability, between the ages of 3 and 12, a personalized education curriculum. At GATE Junior, children are offered a Proprietary Talent Development Programme to expose them to STEM, communication skills and humanities, at a young age for a broader scope of knowledge and interest.
