Debated in Parliament on 5 Mar 2024.
Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) in 2023, what is the proportion of preschools and kindergartens that breached the minimum qualified staff-child ratios during programme hours for (i) three months (ii) six months and (iii) more than six months; (b) what measures are taken to ensure the ratio is adhered to even when staff are on leave; and (c) what efforts are being taken to increase the ratio of staff to students.
The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has a comprehensive set of regulations including staff-child ratio requirements to ensure the safety and well-being of children. Licensees must ensure that staff-child ratios are abided by at all times during a centre’s operating hours. The operator must take all possible measures to ensure the safety of children, which may include redeploying staff or engaging relief staff to temporarily cover duties.
Currently, 23 (about 1%) of preschools did not meet the qualified staff-child ratios at the point of license renewal and are on a six or 12-month licence.
In practice, preschool operators can and do operate with more staff than required, depending on activities being conducted and manpower available. To ensure adequate manpower supply in the sector, ECDA has taken steps to improve the career proposition and working conditions of educators, so that more are encouraged to join and remain in the preschool sector. ECDA is also reviewing ways to grow a pool of relief staff to support the sector’s ad hoc needs. ECDA is mindful that further raising the minimum staff-child ratios across the sector will have an impact on overall manpower demand and availability of services.
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