PAP Community Foundation to expand childcare centres,
raise teachers' pay
SINGAPORE: The number of childcare centres run by the PAP
Community Foundation(PCF) is set to more than double in the next
two years to meet demand.
The PCF, which runs 33 Sparkle*Tots childcare centres, is looking
to add at least 40 more in the next two years.
This is in line with a plan announced earlier by the Ministry of
Community Development, Youth and Sports, to add some 200 childcare
centres industry-wide in the next five years.
The PCF officially opened a Sparkle*Tots childcare centre on
Saturday. The Punggol East Sparkle*Tots Infant and Childcare Centre
was officially opened by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.
Since beginning its operations on 1 June this year, 50% of the 71
places have already been filled up, with several on the waiting
list.
The area's Member of Parliament, Mr Michael Palmer, said it is not
ruling out opening another centre in Punggol East next year, once a
suitable location has been identified.
Efforts are also being made to improve the quality of education in
both childcare centres and kindergartens.
They said learning should always be fun for children, hence a
play-based curriculum. But more importantly, children these days
are expected to learn more at a young age so a special pedagogy is
being developed to help them increase their curiosity and help them
be smart with words, smart with numbers and develop interpersonal
skills.
All that can only be achieved with the help of qualified PCF
teachers. And to reflect the more demanding nature of their work,
these teachers will get a pay rise in line with market
values.
Deputy Prime Minister Teo, who is also the PCF council chairman,
said: "This is important, because we want to make sure that we can
attract and retain good teachers for our students."
PCF Group CEO, Tay Swee Yee, said: "The industry as a whole has to
really sell early childhood educators as a profession, so we need
to come together and appeal to (these educators), especially new
entrants.
"It is teaching in effect, but teaching at a very critical age of a
child - between the age of two to six - that's the time that
children are like a sponge, they soak up everything, all the
knowledge and that's a very good time to teach them."
A kindergarten principal with a professional Degree in Early
Childhood Education will receive a salary ranging from $2,300 to
$4,375 per month, depending on experience, ability and
performance.
The salary of teachers with a Diploma ranges from $1,300 to
$2,720.
A teacher with a basic academic degree can command a starting pay
of at least $2,100 and those with good Honours academic degree can
expect to start at a higher salary.
Non-early childhood working experience will also be factored into
the starting salary.
The PCF also wants its teachers to continue learning by making
scholarships and subsidies available to them to encourage them to
upgrade their skills.
By 2013, PCF aims to equip 95% of its teachers with a professional
diploma and at least 25% of them with a degree.
The PCF also wants to encourage its principals to upgrade
themselves, and in the long term, have all of them possess a
degree.
- CNA/ir