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Pre-school teacher education in Singapore: Developments and challenges
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Type
Book chapter
Citation
Karuppiah, N. (2022). Pre-school teacher education in Singapore: Developments and challenges. In O. S. Tan, K. K. Poon, B. A. O'Brien, & A. Rifkin-Graboi (Eds.), Early childhood development and education in Singapore (pp. 43-60). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-7405-1_3
Abstract
In Singapore, about 99 per cent of children attend at least one year of pre-school (The term ‘pre-school’ will refer to the period prior to going to school which is for children aged seven years and above. ‘Pre-school’ will also be used interchangeably with the term, ‘early childhood’, unless there is a need to make a distinction.) (kindergarten or childcare centre) before entering Primary One (P1) (Tan, Int J Child Care Educ Policy, 11(7):1–22, 2017). Recognizing that pre-school education is necessary and influence later learning and development, the Singapore government has gradually increased its interest and investment in the pre-school sector in recent years. The introduction of new policies measures and initiatives over the years have created waves of change and pushed the pre-school sector forward (Yang, 2020). Since teachers play a pivotal role in the care and education of our young children, there have been many changes in teacher education (teacher preparation & professional development) programmes in terms of their entry requirements, duration and content over the years (ECDA, 2018).
Although some progress has been made in recent decades, the government would need to undertake a consolidated and systematic approach in resolving the issues and challenges which continue to exist in the Singapore pre-school sector. It is vital for the government to continue to review and enhance the pre-school policies, regulations, curriculum and teacher education. There is also a need to continue to attract and retain a stable and well-qualified workforce in the pre-school sector (OECD, 2018). Besides teacher education, supporting pre-school personnel through investing in research and development is also important and necessary for the transformation of early childhood care and education (ECCE) in Singapore.
Date Issued
2022
ISBN
9789811674051
Publisher
Springer
DOI
10.1007/978-981-16-7405-1_3