All MOE kindergartens to progressively offer full-day programme from 2028

All MOE kindergartens to progressively offer full-day programme from 2028 The new arrangement will be rolled out over two years, bringing kindergarten education and care together while retaining half-day options for parents. SINGAPORE: All Ministry of Education (MOE) kindergartens will progressively move to a new full-day programme from 2028 to 2030, bringing learning, play and care together in a more seamless experience for the children. Under the new full-day model, kindergarten lessons and after-school care will be combined into a single programme run by MOE. Parents who do not need full-day services can still opt for a half-day programme, the ministry said on Wednesday (Oct 28). Currently, the 56 MOE kindergartens offer four-hour K1 and K2 programmes for children aged five and six. Parents who need childcare beyond these hours can enrol their children in Kindergarten Care (KCare), which is provided by an external MOE-appointed service provider. About 65 per cent of the roughly 9,000 children enrolled in MOE kindergartens also attend KCare. MOE said that while the current arrangements have served families well, a more integrated full-day preschool service would better support children's overall development and meet the changing needs of families. "This will provide the children with greater continuity in learning, more sustained interactions with MOE Kindergarten staff to foster stronger relationships, and increased opportunities to further enrich children's learning experiences," it added. "Children from disadvantaged backgrounds will also benefit from a more seamless and supportive learning environment." Before the wider rollout, MOE will pilot the new model at two kindergartens, MK@Rivervale and MK@West View, next year. Lessons learnt from the pilot will help guide the implementation and gradual rollout of the new model across all MOE kindergartens. MOE will share which kindergartens will implement the new model the following year during its annual kindergarten registration exercise in March. "We recognise that in the preschool sector there is an evolving need," said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education Syed Harun Alhabsyi. "This is why we're taking the step to further integrate the learning, the play, as well as the care of our children with a full-day programme." WHAT WILL THE FULL-DAY PROGRAMME LOOK LIKE? With the new model, the children will have access to a wider range of learning and play experiences, such as child-directed play in their mother tongue language where they can learn while exploring their interests. The kindergarten will also introduce open-ended outdoor play, where children can engage in self-directed exploration and experiment with “open-ended play materials” such as hoola hoops, planks and tires. This, MOE said, can help them build physical confidence and resilience as they learn to navigate and assess risks within a safe environment. During school holidays, children can take part in hands-on activities involving science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), drama and visual arts. “The MOE Kindergarten curriculum, designed by MOE curriculum specialists, will continue to build confidence and social skills, lay strong foundations in their literacy and numeracy, and prepare them well for Primary 1,” said the ministry. MOE kindergartens will operate from 7am to 7pm on weekdays, including during school holidays. Parents who opt for the half-day programme can send their children from 7am to 12.30pm. The kindergartens will be closed on public holidays, designated MOE school holidays such as teachers' day and children's day, and centre closure days. To support the new programme and extended hours, MOE will be hiring programme officers to work alongside kindergarten educators and assist with children’s care and supervision, such as meal times. The work hours for MOE kindergarten educators will remain the same, though shifts may start earlier or later, depending on each centre’s needs. On this, Dr Syed Harun assured that MOE is studying how best to support its kindergarten educators in managing their workloads and professional development. "The better we take care of our MOE Kindergarten educators, the more our students continue to benefit, and they learn well in our schools, so it remains a priority for any educator within the MOE space, that we look at it holistically and we support our educators." HOW MUCH WILL PARENTS PAY? For the pilot programme, parents will pay a single fee to MOE Kindergarten. For Singaporean children attending the two pilot kindergartens in 2027, the full-day programme will cost S$665 a month before subsidies, while the half-day option will cost S$310. After subsidies, parents of Singaporean children will pay between S$3 and S$425 a month for the full-day programme, depending on their eligibility. For the half-day programme, monthly fees after subsidies will range from S$1 to S$160. Permanent residents will pay a monthly fee of S$735 for the full-day programme, and S$320 for the half-day programme. MOE added that children who are Singapore citizens and enrolled in the full-day pilot will receive fee subsidies for preschool programmes administered by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) under the infant and childcare subsidy scheme. This replaces ECDA’s kindergarten fee assistance scheme and MOE’s existing KCare subsidies. "MOE will also provide additional top-up subsidies such that their out-of-pocket fees are comparable to their current out-of-pocket fees," added the ministry. The fees for subsequent implementation will be shared when available. Ms Shereen Low, centre head of MK@West View, said the move will allow the kindergarten to have "unhurried opportunities" to support children's both interests and learning needs. "The focus for us, as part of the full-day model, is to have greater coherence in terms of the curriculum and integrating pedagogical approaches throughout the day, so learning ... is seen as a seamless learning experience for the child throughout the day," she said.