26 October 2001

SPEECH BY DR ALINE WONG, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE FOR EDUCATION,
AT THE OPENING OF THE MOE CHILDCARE CENTRE
ON FRIDAY, 26 OCT 2001, AT 10.00 AM
AT MOE EDUTORIUM, 1 NORTH BUONA VISTA DRIVE

1 I am pleased to be with you this morning at the Opening of the MOE Childcare Centre.

2 MOE recognises the need for her staff to balance the demands of work at the office and care for their young children at home. We are pleased to work with Learning Vision International and its team of early childhood professionals to provide quality childcare services in the workplace to support and help staff achieve personal and professional success. Staff members who need alternative childcare arrangements can now have their children closer to them and be assured that their children are well taken care of at the centre.

3 With the government's active involvement in childcare provisions, many childcare centres have been set up, and parents are beginning to recognise that these centres, with their professional staff, are able to cater to their young children's needs better. Furthermore parents and professionals also realise the importance of early childhood education and its impact on an individual's learning potential. Childcare centres have become not only support services for working parents, but also "schools" for the education of the very young.

4 A growing body of research has identified the complex interplay between the brain and what a child learns from its environment, and that the young immature brain is very open to early experiences - good or bad. The fact that from the time of conception to the age of five, a child's brain development charges along at a pace faster than at any other time in its life is a double-edged sword. It creates the potential for things to go right or wrong in so many aspects of children's lives, including how they learn, how they behave and how they interact with other people later on.

5 The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in the USA believes that children who attend high-quality early childhood programmes "gain skills that are normally associated with greater brain development, such as problem solving and language, math and literacy skills. They also gain other kinds of competencies such as self-control, a higher motivation for learning and social skills." Therefore, programmes should provide young children with "meaningful learning opportunities to develop skills, competencies, a sense of self, and a foundation for learning throughout life" (NAEYC Resource, 1999)¹.

6 As Singapore faces the 21st century with its many new challenges and rapid global developments, we envision a nation of responsible citizens and creative thinkers who are determined to learn throughout their lives. And in line with our vision of "Thinking Schools, Learning Nation", MOE is currently working on improving the quality of pre-school education in Singapore, in conjunction with its other major initiatives in the formal education system. In the area of pre-school education, emphasis has been placed on defining outcomes, drawing up a new curriculum, raising standards in teacher training, establishing a tighter regulatory framework and conducting research.

7 These new initiatives in pre-school education reiterate the importance of preparing young children to think creatively, work independently and be effective problem-solvers. They also emphasize the importance of developing our children holistically and inculcating in them sound moral values.

8 I am pleased to note that the MOE Childcare Centre provides meaningful programmes which not only develop every child's talents and ability, but also encourage the child's self-confidence, initiative, inquisitiveness and creativity. Children would be able to recognise what they have in common, while respecting and enjoying the diversity that makes each one of them unique. With a stimulating and nurturing childcare environment, and a team of dedicated staff, I am confident that the MOE Childcare Centre will prepare our young to be adept to changes in the future.

9 It gives me great pleasure now to declare the MOE Childcare Centre officially open.