Better childcare for workers and parents

During debate on the Population White Paper in February, Labour Members of Parliament (MPs) brought up several issues, perspectives and suggestions.

Providing quality childcare was an issue brought up by Labour MP Ang Hin Kee because not only will it be beneficial to workers in the sector, it will also encourage more Singaporeans to have babies.

To hire and retain experienced and good teachers, more needs to be done to enhance their image, pay and career prospects. He proposed a Professional Development Incentive Scheme (PDIS) to retain and up-skill the educators.

Under this scheme, if an early childhood educator completes certain professional development courses, she will be eligible for the PDIS. The amount should be co-shared by the government and operator.