Initiatives to boost pre-school education industry

Initiatives to boost pre-school education industry

31 August 2007 

Joint Media Release

1. The Kindergarten and Childcare Centres’ Staff Union (KCCSU), Education Services Union (ESU) and National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) will embark on a series of initiatives to re-train and re-skill pre-school teachers; attract talents; and enable these professionals to command a higher pay that commensurate with their higher qualifications, enhanced skills and competencies. These will also lead to an elevation in the social recognition and status accorded to pre-school educators.

2. Pre-school education is the bedrock of our children’s education. With about 8,200 pre-school teachers in the sector, the labour movement recognises the instrumental role they play in educating and nurturing our young children.  Thus, the labour movement aims to strengthen this vital foundation of our children by enhancing the quality of our pre-school teachers through the Job Re-creation Programme (JRP) and other initiatives, in collaboration with partners like the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA).

All-Level (Entry-Level Relief Teaching / Teachers / Principals) Job Re-creation Programme

3. Taking a multi-pronged approach to improve the skill-sets and quality of pre-school teachers at every level, a series of JRP initiatives were developed to address their specific needs at each level.  (Please refer to Annex A for an overall view of the all-level JRP.)

Entry-Level: JRP for Pre-School Relief Teachers

4. For the interests of children in pre-school institutions, a stipulated staff-child ratio[1] was set by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. When permanent full-time teachers take leave or attend professional or continuing courses, relief teachers are employed.

5. The unions will work through the JRP in a pilot programme funded by NTUC, WDA and the Singapore Labour Foundation (SLF) to upgrade the skill levels of about 100 relief teachers so that they can earn commensurate wages. After attending a 60 to 80 hour short course in early childhood education, they can expect to have an increase of 20% in income. The programme aims to train 1,000 relief teachers in two years’ time.

Teachers – JRP for Specialist Pre-school Teachers

6. Existing pre-school teachers are equipped with new skills to broaden their capabilities under the JRP Specialist Pre-school Teachers Scheme, which is co-funded by NTUC. This is a pilot scheme to re-skill pre-school teachers so that they can take on additional roles and thus, take home a higher pay.  

7. In support of the pilot scheme, 31 teachers with NTUC Childcare Co-operative Ltd (NTUC Childcare) had attended a course on “Introduction to Early Literacy Principles and Strategies” to acquire skills and competencies in conducting literacy enrichment courses for its students after regular hours. This has led to a 10% increase in income for them.

8. As an inclusive labour movement, we also want children from low-income families to have access to available opportunities in education. Funded by the NTUC Childcare Bright Horizons Trust fund, teachers now conduct a free “Read-to-Reach” programme for children from the low-income families who have fallen behind their peers in English literacy skills.

9. With the success of the pilot scheme, the model can be replicated to develop a wider range of enrichment programmes to extend to broader base of teachers. It could also potentially benefit other pre-school operators who are interested to adopt and implement it for their use. It is targeted for up to 300 teachers to be trained as Specialist Pre-school Teachers under this programme.

Principals – The Professional Conversion Programme for Pre-school Principals

10. Mid-career professionals and women re-entering the workforce and joining the pre-school education sector can take advantage of a Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) for Pre-school Trainee Principals. Jointly developed with the WDA, it is to attract experienced mid-career Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs) with management and leadership expertise to the pre-school education sector.

11. These trainee principals will take on a two-and-a-half year course for a Specialist Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education. The average starting pay of these trainee principals is about $2,400, including training allowances.

12. Four private operators, namely NTUC Childcare, Cherie Hearts, Eton House and Carpe Diam have already signed up to participate in this programme. We hope to convert up to 100 PMETs to become qualified pre-school principals over the next two years. NTUC and WDA will invite more private operators and mature PMETs to participate in this programme.

Pre-school Industry Salary Benchmarking Exercise

13. The Ministry of Manpower’s October 2006 survey of full-time diploma graduates showed that graduates from the early childhood faculty commanded the lowest mean monthly gross starting pay of S$1,403 amongst their peers[2].

14. To attract talents to join the pre-school education sector, the starting pay has to be adjusted. Following KCCSU’s discussion with NTUC Childcare, the largest employer in the full-day pre-school sector, and NTUC Childcare has committed to raise the monthly starting pay of full-time diploma graduates with leadership training from $1,530 to $1,600 before Annual Wage Supplement (AWS) and performance bonuses. This brings the pay of diploma graduates in this sector closer to the mean pay of fellow graduates from the other faculties.

15. To obtain an industry snapshot of the wage levels of the rest of the pre-school teachers, both KCCSU and ESU have commissioned a Salary Benchmarking Consultancy Project for the pre-school education workforce.

Better Skills, Better Job, Better Pay = Better Recognition

16. The multi-pronged approach in attracting and re-training the pre-school educators of all levels and enabling them to earn higher income, will lead to an elevation in the social recognition and status accorded to them.

17. “Through JRP, we are happy to work with pre-school operators on new ideas and roll out more initiatives to benefit existing workers and attract new workers into the sector. Together with WDA and pre-school operators, these initiatives will help those working in this sector to have better prospects and fulfil their aspirations,” said Mr Ang Hin Kee, Director, Employability Enhancement Department, NTUC.

18. Besides improving the tangible benefits, pre-school educators are also accorded intangible goodwill such as recognition and gestures of appreciation for their hard work and dedication during special occasions such as the Teachers’ Day. One such occasion is the Teachers’ Day Luncheon held at the Suntec Convention City today, organised by KCCSU and ESU especially for 8,200 pre-school educators in the sector. Paying special tribute to these teachers were NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say. The luncheon was attended by about 300 pre-school educators, and close to 150 children and their parents.

Concerted Efforts By Labour Movement and Private Sectors

19. Commenting on the initiatives to upgrade and improve the pre-school sector, NTUC Childcare’s Chief Executive Officer Adeline Sum said, “High-calibre pre-school teachers play a key role in meeting increasing demands for quality and affordable pre-school education. NTUC Childcare is pleased to do our part to give pre-school teachers better lifelong learning opportunities and higher wages, so that they will continue to take pride in their profession.” NTUC Childcare, as Singapore’s largest pre-school education operator with about 500 teachers in its 40 centres, had pledged its support by being the first to raise the monthly starting pay of full-time diploma graduates, signed up for the PCP Programme, and led the pilot projects to train Specialist Teachers and Relief Teachers.

20. Looking forward, the labour movement will continue to work closely with industry players and relevant government bodies to enhance the sectors’ capabilities and growth for the betterment of the educators in the pre-school sector.

*****

About Kindergarten and Childcare Centres’ Staff Union

Established in 12 September 1992, it represents employees working in kindergartens and childcare centres, as well as organisations engaged in the training and development of children. Its current membership stands at 5,855 as at June 2007 from branches such as NTUC Childcare Cooperative, The Little Skool-house International Pte Ltd, The Students Place, My Baby Place and HDB Childcare Centre. It aims to promote good industrial relations between members and their employers and improve working conditions and economic status of its members.

About Education Services Union

The Education Services Union (ESU) was formed on 31 March 2006 and serves to represent the interests of employees in the private education industry. To date, ESU has over 5,000 union members from branches such as National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore Management University (SMU), Singapore Institute of Management (SIM), Singapore American School, United World College of South East Asia, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), LASALLE College for the Arts, SEAMEO RELC, NTUC LearningHub and many others. ESU's resources are solely dedicated to representing private education sector employees and looking after their needs.

About National Trades Union Congress

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is a national confederation of trade unions of workers in the industrial, service and public sectors representing about 480,000 workers in Singapore. It has 63 affiliated trade unions and six associations, as well as 12 social enterprises and three related organisations. NTUC’s objectives are to help Singapore stay competitive and workers remain employable for life; to enhance the social status and well-being of workers; and to build a strong, responsible and caring labour movement.

About Job Re-creation Programme

The Job Re-creation Programme (JRP) is a tripartite effort spearheaded by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF). The JRP, which is jointly funded by WDA and the Singapore Labour Foundation (SLF), aims to enhance the employability of workers and re-create jobs, so that workers have better skills, better jobs, and better pay. In 2006, the JRP assisted more than 12, 000 workers. For 2007, the target is to re-create 15,000 jobs.

About Workforce Skills Qualifications

The Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) is an integrated continuing education and training system from Workforce Development Authority (WDA). Designed to build industry competencies, it is founded on best international practices and validated by industries and employers. It differs from the pre-employment training system delivered by national schools and post-secondary education institutions. As the WSQ caters to adult workers who have widely diverse training needs, it offers a correspondingly wide range of certifications and qualifications from certificate to graduate diploma. It is designed to facilitate adult learning, make skills upgrading more accessible to our workforce and provide career progression pathways for them. It aims to equip our workforce with the necessary employability, industry and occupational skills to remain competitive and add value to the organisation.

About Professional Conversion Programme

The Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) by Workforce Development Authority aims to enhance job opportunities for Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs) by helping them upgrade their skills or start new careers in growth sectors. WDA developed programmes in collaboration with industry partners and training institutions. The PCP, announced by Minister for Manpower Dr Ng Eng Hen at the Committee of Supply on 7 March 2007, is modelled on the successful Strategic Manpower Conversion Programme (SMCP) in Healthcare started in 2003, which has trained more than 400 PMETs for new careers in nursing or radiography.

[1]  The child-staff ratio for children above 30 months to three years old is 1:12; above three years to four years old is 1:15; and above four years to below seven years old is 1:25.

[2]  Survey for reference below.

Better Skills, Better Job, Better Pay