The programme Talking Point finds out why and what it might take to change that. The rapidly changing trends in early education have reshaped the culture of preschools and kindergartens in many countries of the world. 8       ECDA will expand opportunities for passionate individuals with the right aptitude to join the growing early childhood profession. 6       ECDA is also piloting with several preschools the co-sharing of spaces for infants and toddlers, which are typically segregated. By 2022, the number of AOP centres providing Malay and/or Tamil Language will almost double to about 350. We consider that Natural Sciences should be introduced as soon as possible. Striking an optimistic note, he added: “Because of the growing demand for early childhood services and the growing demand for skilled professionals, we do see that the salaries will continue to rise quite strongly in future as well.”, Asked about the 2020 target of 20,000 teachers, he said: “We’re closely monitoring the figures, quietly confident that we’re on the right track.”. Since then, the early childhood sector has evolved quickly. But with a year to go, she called it quits. She also wants more to be done to recruit men “to come in and be role models for our children”, as they make up less than 1 per cent of pre-school educators today. 1. “Most certainly,” said early childhood education specialist Peggy Zee, who has been a consultant in the industry for nearly four decades. All AOP centres will continue to provide Chinese Language. It looks like the email address you entered is not valid. The clock is ticking for the pre-school sector, with an extra 3,000 teachers needed by 2020. All Singapore children start formal school and compulsory education at Primary 1 (P1) in January of the year they turn 7 years of age. How many more will do so by 2022? Springer Singapore, Singapore. What are the senior professional positions that will be created? And now, the clock is ticking. The Master of Education (Early Childhood) programme makes an in-depth study of theories and practices in early childhood education and extends the knowledge and expertise of professionals in the sector. “A trend I’m observing—and cheering for—in the field of early childhood education is the focus upon explicit, systematic phonics in literacy instruction,” says Dr. Christina Williams, owner of Book Bums. How would the AOPs determine the centres to provide Malay or Tamil Language? For example, MOE and ECDA have distributed Big Books and facilitated training for MTL teachers based on the Nurturing Early Learners curriculum framework. It points to directions and insights into issues in policy and practice that are of current global concern. So when it comes to childhood education in Singapore, there are a variety of curriculum approaches that are used to achieve the development and education of children in a play-based, child-centered environment. This article explores early childhood curriculum reform in Australia and Singapore in order to identify international trends in early childhood education (ECE), similarities in curriculum reform initiatives and implementation strategies adopted. Major trends and issues in early childhood education: Challenges, controversies, and insights. This year is not quality early childhood practice; moreover, it is not always accessible to children from disadvan-taged families. Does ECDA intend to implement SMART solutions in all preschools? But it may not be easy to attract more, as they might think “entering this industry is like a legal minefield” because of restrictions they may face, said MindChamps PreSchool reading and enrichment teacher Jonathan Kum. Also, the number of families benefitting from means-tested subsidies more than doubled from 2012 to 2017. These include the Professional Development Programme for Teachers, Educarers, and Leaders, as well as the ECDA Fellows scheme. Google Scholar “Mum would say a preschool teacher isn’t a job that people would see as something that you’d want to do.”. How will AOPs strengthen leadership development efforts? Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! That may not seem “glamorous”, but Ms Tay hopes that people realise pre-school teachers are far from being nannies. Will the AIE training be opened to non-AOP centres? Key Trends/Challenges in Singapore’s Preschool and Early Childhood Education Sector. AOPs will actively identify, develop and manage the careers of their educators in a more structured manner, especially for more promising individuals. The new senior professional positions in AOPs will not only include organisational leadership roles (e.g. 3       Currently, there are about 17,000 educators in the early childhood sector. The AOPs will develop a strong leadership core through more comprehensive human resource management and leadership development efforts. Professionalization. The ITM sets out three key strategies to support the growth of the sector: (I) Innovative services - to better support parents and children. 6. The other sub-sector is the Training and Adult Education (TAE) sector. Over the past year, ASSETS has been working with partners to further raise awareness and take-up of SMART solutions amongst preschools that have not yet been using technology in their operations. understanding how education issues are prioritized and resolved in each state. 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