PAP Community Foundation to expand childcare centres, raise teachers’ pay

PAP Community Foundation to expand childcare centres, raise teachers’ pay

By Gladys Ow,

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

Source : Channel NewsAsia - 13 September 2009

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