SINGAPORE – More than $96 million has been invested by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) in training pre-school educators since 2015, as part of efforts to help them progress in their careers and raise standards in the sector.
In a statement on Friday, the agency said it has supported more than 3,000 aspiring and in-service early childhood educators through training them to take on larger roles, for instance.
To further support teachers’ career progression, ECDA has also clearly charted out the top skills and abilities needed by early childhood educators across 15 roles at different stages, up from the initial seven.
The Continuing Professional Development road map, which serves as a guide for educators and pre-school operators, now lists the specific skills required by various job roles such as deputy centre leader and infant educator.
For example, infant educators – who work with children aged two months to 18 months – will first need to learn how to observe children and manage classrooms, before moving on to curriculum design or planning programmes.
In a speech on Friday, Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli said there are more career progression opportunities for early childhood educators in the form of centre leadership or roles in curriculum development.
They could also move to other early childhood education roles such as in learning support or early intervention, which involves supporting children with special needs.
Speaking at the ECDA Scholarships and Training Awards Presentation Ceremony at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre, Mr Masagos said some people may be dismayed by the recent incidents of child mismanagement in pre-schools.
“Our educators are qualified professionals, with the requisite training and supervision. That is why we recognise these incidents to be exceptions,” he said.
He added that the Government will continue to push for better working conditions, training opportunities and career progression for all early childhood educators.
Highlighting the important role of leaders in the sector, Mr Masagos said that a revised advanced diploma for aspiring early childhood education leaders was rolled out in April. It was updated to cover content related to leadership skills in the areas of curriculum, child safety and management, among others.
“The quality of early childhood education in pre-schools hinges on the quality of leadership,” he said.
Nearly 300 aspiring and in-service educators received the ECDA Training Award on Friday. The award fully sponsors students pursuing full-time professional early childhood education courses, and provides them with other grants and allowances.
Eight educators also received ECDA Scholarships to pursue further studies.
One of them, Ms Celeste Ng, 24, a senior teacher in Superland Preschool, is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education with a minor in special education at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
She had previously taken up the ECDA Training Award to read a diploma in child psychology and early education in Ngee Ann Polytechnic in 2016.
Ms Ng hopes to do more for children with special needs. While society is more aware of the need to be inclusive, she said that parents are often not comfortable hearing from teachers that their children display signs of special needs.
Although pursuing a part-time degree while working is challenging, Ms Ng is committed to learn more and possibly impart her knowledge, as she hopes to be a lecturer in early intervention strategies.
She said: “Sometimes it really gets very hard and I know I’m struggling, but it’s through these learning experiences where I can grow.”
Ms Ng said the Continuing Professional Development road map benefits educators like herself, as it provides a clear guide on how to progress in their careers by attaining skill sets at different milestones.
“It shows us the potential we have in the industry, and that there are broader opportunities for us to explore,” she said.
