SINGAPORE — More training courses have been offered by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) to early childhood professionals, part of efforts by the authority to raise the quality of pre-school education here.
Ten core courses have been made available, up from the three that professionals could choose from before a new Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Masterplan was launched last year. While the courses previously catered more to the training needs of kindergarten educators, they are now designed for professionals from childcare centres as well.
Some 2,200 early childhood professionals have been trained since February, said a ECDA spokesperson.
“As ECDA works to level up quality in the early childhood sector, we aim to use core courses to provide professional development opportunities to improve the quality of curriculum and teaching,” the spokesperson added. The courses will also address concerns that there are not enough options for those in the sector to upgrade themselves, the ECDA said.
Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing, who announced the CPD Master Plan in November last year, said it would give “good reason” for increasing pre-school teachers’ wages.
The road map outlines key responsibilities for staff, who will have to complete courses to move ahead in teaching and leadership pathways. Incentives — such as bonuses tied to training and job scope — will be given to encourage early childhood professionals to attend the courses.
Currently, there are about 12,000 pre-school professionals, and ECDA is encouraging them to complete two core courses over three years, spending at least 20 hours each year on upgrading themselves.
Among the 10 courses offered in January, two — Story Reading and Storytelling, and Planning an Active Curriculum through a Responsive Environment — are new. The former equips teachers with storytelling techniques while the latter helps infant care workers — called “educarers” in the industry — plan a curriculum that allows interaction and purposeful play.
Three more new courses — Music and Movement, Discovery of the World and WSQ Critical and Analytical Thinking — will be offered to April’s intake. The courses will teach them how to design appropriate music and movement experiences for toddlers, how to plan hands-on science activities and how to manage centre operations and human resource-related issues respectively, for instance.
According to the ECDA, most classes are full, with waiting lists for certain courses. This year, the ECDA plans to offer 9,000 training places and 20 distinct core courses.
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