AVERAGE PRE-SCHOOL ENROLMENT RATE OF FAMILIES RESIDING IN HDB PUBLIC RENTAL FLATS COMPARED WITH NATIONAL AVERAGE ENROLMENT RATE

Education is one of the main levelers in our society. It ensures that we have social mobility and allows every Singaporean, regardless of his or her personal background to be the best he can be. I asked Minister Masagos a Parliamentary Question on the enrolment rate of young children living with their families in HDB public rental flats into preschools. I also asked whether he would consider making preschool compulsory.

In his reply, Minister mention that for preschoolers in kindergartens, the participation rate is the same as the national average; 95%. This is commendable! It is a direct result of the Government’s many initiatives such as the KidSTART aimed at giving our children from low-income families the best start possible. Their parents need only pay $1 per month for half-day kindergarten or $3 per month for full-day kindergarten. I further noted from his answer to my question that the enrolment rate of children between the age of 3 and 4 lags 8% behind the national average of 88%. This is something that must be closely tracked. On my suggestion that preschool be made compulsory, Minister Masagos felt that a proactive approach dealing with the reasons why low-income families are not able to send their children to preschool may be a better solution.

My parliamentary question and Minister Masagos’ answer may be assessed below.

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Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) in each of the past five years, what is the average pre-school enrolment rate of families residing in HDB public rental flats; (b) how does this rate compare with the national average enrolment rate; and © whether the Ministry will consider making pre-school education compulsory.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The preschool participation rate of Singapore citizen children aged five to six years residing in public rental flats is comparable to the national average of 95%. The preschool participation rate of children aged three to four years residing in public rental flats is slightly lower than the national average, with about 80% enrolled in preschools compared to about 88% nationally.

The early years are important to a child’s development, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. ECDA works closely with the community to help lower-income families enrol their children through KidSTART and the Preschool Outreach programme. We have also enhanced our preschool subsidies such that families under HDB’s Public Rental Scheme and MSF’s ComCare schemes are automatically eligible for maximum preschool subsidies, regardless of the mother’s working status. Lower-income families pay $3 per month for full-day childcare and $1 per month for half-day kindergarten at Anchor Operator preschools.

Rather than a broad policy of compulsory education at the preschool years, our approach is to ensure the provision of accessible, affordable and good quality preschool services across the board. Together with proactive outreach and targeted assistance for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, we address the practical barriers to preschool education that lower-income families face. ECDA will do more in the coming years to raise preschool participation among lower-income families, such as via the nationwide roll out of KidSTART.