Launch of Pre-School Curriculum Framework - MOE Press Release (20 January 2003)

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1 Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry & Education, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam launched the new pre-school curriculum framework on 20 Jan 2003. The findings from the research study on the benefits of the new curriculum and teacher training were also shared at the launch, which was attended by 1,000 educators from the pre-school sector.

2 The new curriculum framework was based on the Desired Outcomes of Pre-school Education (Annex A). It advocates a holistic approach to children's development and learning and focuses on six key principles. The six principles are:

3 These principles provide the guidelines for developing a programme for pre-school children. They give kindergarten education providers a clear direction for developing an educational programme that meets the needs of their children physically, emotionally, socially and cognitively. They also provide a guide to good practices in pre-school education. More information on the six principles is at Annex B.

4 Pre-school practitioners are also provided with resources to help them put the principles into practices. These resources include books that give suggestions of appropriate materials and activities for use in the lessons. The resources also include videos to raise teachers' awareness of various approaches to and concepts of teaching and learning.

5 The new curriculum framework was designed in close collaboration with lecturers from the National Institute of Education (NIE), and field tested at pre-school centres. This was done over the period of Jan 2001 to Nov 2002.

6 Since 1999, MOE has looked into the improvement of pre-school education in Singapore by focusing on high leverage areas. These leverage areas include: · delineating desired outcomes for pre-school education, · developing a curriculum framework, · conducting research to study the benefits of quality pre-school education, · raising the standards of teacher training and qualifications, and · reviewing the regulatory framework of kindergartens. These high leverage areas have led to the implementation of key pre-school initiatives (Annex C).

7 A pilot research study was also conducted from Mar 2001 to Nov 2002 to evaluate the impact of the new curriculum and improved teacher training on pupils' language, social and intellectual development.

9 Pupils were selected from non-profit pre-school centres across Singapore. The selection criteria required the centres to have a critical mass of kindergarten children from diverse backgrounds. The children had to be taught by teachers with a Certificate in Pre-school Education. A total of 1336 pupils from 32 non-profit pre-school education centres spread all over Singapore participated in the project.

10 The findings from Phase 1 indicated that a developmentally appropriate curriculum had significant impact on children's problem-solving and social skills. There was also evidence of impact on some aspects of English Language skills.

11 The findings highlighted that, in general, home language and socio-economic status (SES) had a bearing on pupil gains. This is in line with international studies. There is evidence that pupils from low SES and non-English speaking backgrounds benefited more from the new curriculum than the existing curriculum in terms of their listening and language processing skills, problem solving skills and social skills.

12 The findings from Phase 1 suggest that the new kindergarten curriculum, with its focus on interactivity, experimentation and discovery provides a richer learning environment that particularly benefits pupils from low SES and non-English speaking backgrounds.

13 Teachers must be trained to deliver a model curriculum for it to be fully effective. The findings of this study indicate that teachers well trained in the educational principles as well as pedagogical approaches of a model curriculum would add value to children's learning.

14 There is evidence that diploma training enhanced teacher skills and competencies, in terms of quality teacher interactions with pupils. The diploma trained teachers were also rated higher on collaboration with colleagues and working with families. However, the period of intervention for Phase 2 was too short to allow for conclusive evidence on whether the effects of diploma training are fully translated into pupil gains. A period of time is required for learning to be maximised, given the importance of teacher-child bonding at this age. Further study would be required to ascertain the impact of diploma-level teacher training on pupil gains.

15 The findings from the research study show that the new curriculum provides more benefits to pupils from low socio-economic status and non-English speaking backgrounds, giving them a more holistic foundation for formal schooling. This supports MOE's initiatives in upgrading pre-school education, especially for kindergartens that serve children from low socio-economic status and non-English backgrounds. While quality pre-school education can bring children to an appropriate level of school readiness, pre-school education will not however be able to "equalise" every child by the time he/she enters formal schooling at P1.

In year 2000, the Ministry of Education issued a set of Desired Outcomes of Pre-school Education.

Significantly, these Desired Outcomes emphasise social skills and attitudes and not so much on academic skills. This demonstrates the fact that social skills and expressions of communication are of paramount importance. While basic intellectual skills are important and should not be overlooked, the enduring effects of a child's social and emotional competence are of even greater importance, for the holistic development of the child. The latter determine the effective functioning of a person more than his/her IQ or academic prowess. We should devote more of the time in pre-school to the acquisition of positive dispositions for this will carry children far and prepare them for future learning. We should not be preparing children for the next stage in learning. The pre-school years are important in themselves.

1. The curriculum framework adopts a holistic approach to enable children to develop and learn. Six critical areas of learning experience have been identified to ensure all-round development in children:

2. The learning experiences are integrated and structured around meaningful situations. Learning takes place seamlessly. For example, when a group of children are engaged in building with blocks, they are not only stacking blocks. They are also finding out about stability of structures, patterns and symmetry, as well as creating a piece of visual art. At the same time, they are also engaged socially in discussing their ideas and negotiating terms for carrying them out.

3. Learning is most effective when children are actively engaged in activities based on their curiosity and interests. The curriculum will provide ample opportunities for children to learn from observations, enquiry, exploration and first-hand experiences. The emphasis is on sharpening their abilities to think, communicate and form their own ideas. The completion of worksheets and repetitive exercises are de-emphasised.

4. Adult mediation have also been shown to be important parts of children's learning. When children participate actively in meaningful tasks, facilitated by adults, they learn more effectively than being passive recipients of facts. For example, conversing with children about their interests is one way of extending children's thinking. Teacher training therefore emphasises the many aspects of interacting with children, besides the usual questioning mode.

5. Interaction with peers and participation in groups facilitate individual learning, for adults as well as children. When there is extensive and meaningful interaction between children and adults in a nurturing and positive environment, children display more exploratory behaviour and better peer relations.

6. Research has shown that play is the best way for children to learn. Play is a vehicle for motivating children to explore, discover, take risks, make mistakes, cope with failure and express their feelings. The curriculum provides many opportunities for structured play involving the rich use of language. This will serve to develop and extend creativity, oral and aural skills, language associated with numeracy and early environmental awareness, and personal and social skills.

1 In 1999, a Steering Committee was formed to guide the implementation of MOE's Pre-school initiatives with the view of improving the quality of pre-school education (PSE). Chaired by the former Senior Minister of State for Education, Dr Aline Wong, the Pre-school Steering Committee comprised representatives from MCDS, the National Institute of Education, pre-school practitioners and primary school principals.

2 Since 1999, MOE has looked into the improvement of pre-school education in Singapore by focusing on high leverage areas. These leverage areas include:

3 In Mar 2000, the Ministry of Education delineated the Desired Outcomes of Pre-school Education in consultation with pre-school personnel, practitioners and trainers.

4 The Desired Outcomes of Pre-school Education spell out what children should know at the end of their kindergarten education and closely mirror MOE's Desired Outcomes of Education for the primary and secondary levels. This ensures continuity of focus from pre-school to the other levels of schooling.

5 A new curriculum framework based on the Desired Outcomes of Pre-school Education was drawn up in 2000. It advocates the holistic development of children using developmentally appropriate practices. The curriculum was field tested in 2001-2002. The new Framework is officially launched on 20 Jan 2003.

6 The objectives of the Research Study were to evaluate a model of mass quality pre-school education (PSE) for children, to ascertain long-term benefits of PSE, and to discuss the implications of this knowledge base for pre-school policy, practice and professional development.

7 The study examined the impact of the new curriculum and diploma training on the language, problem-solving and social skills of the same group of pupils over K1 and K2.

8 The research study was carried out from Mar 2001-Nov 2002. The key findings of the research are announced at the launch of the pre-school curriculum on 20 Jan 2003.

9 In Dec 2000, MOE announced the minimum teacher qualifications expected. By 2006, all pre-school principals would be required to have the Diploma in Leadership. By 2008, all teachers would be required to obtain the Certificate of Education. Also by 2008, one in four teachers must obtain the Diploma in Teaching.

10 In Jan 2001, the Pre-School Qualifications Accreditation Committee (PQAC) was set up to accredit pre-school certificate and diploma courses, with the view of improving the quality of training and trainers. Co-steered by MOE and MCDS, the committee comprises representatives from the kindergarten and child care sectors.

11 In line with the intent to raise the quality of pre-school education in Singapore, a new regulatory framework will be put in place to ensure that pre-school centres meet certain minimum standards for registration. The new Kindergarten Bill will establish the broad regulatory principles for regulating pre-school centres. It is targeted for implementation in 2004.

	aesthetics and creative expression
	environmental awareness
	language and literacy
	motor skills development
	numeracy
	self and social awareness

	Phase 1 : Effects of the new curriculum. How effective is the new curriculum per se with teacher training pitched at the Certificate level?
	Phase 2 : Effects of diploma training. What is the value-added impact of diploma trained teachers and the new curriculum on pupils' learning?

	delineating desired outcomes for pre-school education,
	developing a curriculum framework,
	conducting research to study the benefits of quality pre-school education,
	raising the standards of teacher training and qualifications, and
	reviewing the regulatory framework of kindergartens.