MOE kindergartens are seeing a surge of applicants this year as compared to previous years. The ministry is setting up new branches to meet growing demand.
There were more than 2,000 applications for 2,700 Kindergarten 1 (K1) places in 24 centres when registration for 2019’s intake closed earlier this month, said MOE.
Last year’s intake saw 1,300 applications for places in 15 kindergartens, with some places subject to a ballot.
The increasing demand could be attributed to several things:
- priority admission to co-located primary schools
- low fees
- attractive curriculum that teaches Chinese, Malay and Tamil
- available childcare services up to 7pm
One of the distinctive features of the centres is the local flavour of its curriculums, said Marian Lee, centre head for the MOE kindergarten at West Spring Primary School.
For example, as part of learning about their neighbourhood, children dramatized a scene from a local storybook.
“While there’s literacy content in there, there’s discovery of the world content. We try to set some of these things in a local context so that children can identify a lot easier with it,” Lee said.
The centres also send students on field trips to explore ethnic cultures, for instance a trip to Little India and visits to the Indian Heritage Centre.
There have also been cases of parents switching their children from private kindergarten to the MOE kindergarten at West Spring Primary. The parent had found the centre’s location convenient, as well as the offer of childcare services, and an easier transition between kindergarten to Primary 1.
About 2,900 children are enrolled across both K1 and K2 levels this year at the 18 existing MOE kindergartens, reported The Strait Times.
By 2023, MOE will more than double the number of kindergartens to 50 centres.