{"id":96055,"date":"2026-10-28T13:25:01","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T05:25:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=96055"},"modified":"2026-10-28T13:25:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T05:25:01","slug":"all-moe-kindergartens-to-provide-full-day-care-by-2030","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=96055","title":{"rendered":"All MOE kindergartens to provide full-day care by 2030"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"text-primary article-summary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">SINGAPORE \u2013<!-- --> By 2030, all <a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/parenting-education\/57-moe-kindergartens-available-for-k1-admission-in-2027?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"inline font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"typography-test-id\">MOE Kindergartens will offer<\/span><\/a> a new full-day model with learning, play and care for children from 7am to 7pm.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The new model will be piloted in 2027 at two kindergartens \u2013 MK@Rivervale and MK@West View \u2013 before it is rolled out across all centres between 2028 and 2030, the ministry said on Oct 28.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Currently, MOE operates 56 centres offering four-hour programmes for Kindergarten 1 and 2 children aged five and six.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Parents requiring a full-day service can opt for Kindergarten Care (KCare), which is after-school care provided by external operators appointed by MOE.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Under the new model, education, play and care will be integrated into a single programme run by MOE Kindergarten educators.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">They will be supported by <!-- -->MK programme officers<!-- --> employed by the ministry. MOE said MK educators will remain primarily responsible for delivering the curriculum, while programme officers will support children\u2019s care and supervision, including during meals and other daily routines.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Speaking to the media on Oct 28, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education Syed Harun Alhabsyi said the changes were driven by feedback from parents and MK educators, as well as evolving needs in the pre-school sector.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The integrated model would allow educators to better understand children\u2019s needs and provide more targeted support, he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">MOE said in a briefing on Oct 28 that many parents said they require a full-day service.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"All MOE kindergartens rolling out full-day care by 2030, to be piloted at 2 branches in 2027\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_5rVxepXYfU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The ministry said it will hire more staff, and the number of educators and programme officers deployed to each kindergarten will depend on enrolment. There are currently around 1,100 MK teachers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Existing KCare employees may be recruited as programme officers if found suitable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The kindergartens will operate from 7am to 7pm on weekdays during school terms and holidays, excluding public holidays, designated school holidays and centre closure days.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Parents who do not require full-day service can continue to opt for a half-day programme, from 7am to 12.30pm.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">MOE said the change would provide children with greater continuity in learning and more sustained interactions with staff, allowing them to build stronger relationships.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Children from disadvantaged backgrounds would also benefit from a more seamless and supportive learning environment, it added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">MOE said about 65 per cent of around 8,000 children attending MKs currently use KCare.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The new model will introduce more experiences, including exploring play in mother tongue languages where children can take greater ownership of their<!-- --> learning;<!-- --> outdoor play using materials such as planks and <!-- -->tyres; <!-- -->and holiday activities involving science, technology, engineering and mathematics, drama and visual arts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Parents will also pay a single fee to MOE Kindergartens, instead of separate fees for kindergarten and KCare.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">At the two pilot kindergartens, monthly full-day fees for Singaporean children will range from $3 to $425 after applicable subsidies, compared with $1 to $160 for the half-day programme.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Before subsidies, the monthly fees will be $665 and $310 respectively.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">MOE said the out-of-pocket fees would be comparable <!-- -->with<!-- --> existing combined MK and KCare fees, as well as fees at anchor operator full-day childcare centres.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Currently, Singaporean children pay $160 a month for MK, and KCare fees of up to $275 a month after a basic subsidy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Fees for the centres coming <!-- -->on board<!-- --> later will be shared when available, MOE said. The list of kindergartens adopting the new model each year will be announced during the preceding year\u2019s MK registration exercise in March.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">MOE said it would work with kindergartens, schools and KCare operators to ensure a smooth transition to the full-day model.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The changes follow Prime Minister Lawrence Wong\u2019s announcement at the National Day Rally in August that the Government aims to lower full-day childcare fees at government-supported pre-schools to $150 a month by 2030. This is part of efforts to ensure quality affordable pre-school education is within reach for all families.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The existing outsourced KCare arrangement came under scrutiny earlier in 2026 after MOE terminated its contracts with student care operator Little Professors Learning Centre in February over contractual breaches, including unpaid staff salaries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Around 1,800 children across eight primary schools were affected, including children attending KCare at six of the schools.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">MOE later tightened financial checks on operators and introduced additional safeguards.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Syed Harun said the move to the full-day model was not prompted by the case. \u201cThis review was done even before the Little Professors incident,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The ministry said discussions about moving towards an integrated full-day model began several years before the incident, in response to feedback from parents who wanted a more seamless experience for their children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Some parents had found it confusing to navigate separate MK and KCare providers, particularly when trying to determine which programme their child was attending when an incident occurred.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">On MK teachers\u2019 workload, MOE said their daily working hours will remain unchanged under the new model. They will work earlier or later shifts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Currently, MK teachers\u2019 workdays run from 6.45am to 4pm or 7.45am to 5pm. After teaching ends at <!-- -->noon<!-- -->, they attend to lesson planning or administrative duties.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">MOE added that the amount of time teachers spend interacting directly with children is expected to remain largely unchanged, but will be spread throughout the day instead of concentrated in the current four-hour programme.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Teachers will also retain their protected vacation time during school holidays, but will have to take turns going on leave to allow MKs to remain open.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">For instance, during the four-week June holidays, teachers will still have two weeks of protected vacation time, but may take them during different weeks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Addressing concerns about teachers\u2019 workloads, Syed Harun said: \u201cWe are studying how best we can support their workload as they educate our young ones.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">He said MOE also aims to further strengthen professional development for them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cBecause the better we take care of our MK educators, the more our students continue to benefit, and learn well in our schools.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<center><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/parenting-education\/all-moe-kindergartens-to-provide-full-day-care-by-2030-pilot-to-start-at-2-centres-in-2027\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source <\/a><br \/>\n<center\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SINGAPORE \u2013 By 2030, all MOE Kindergartens will offer a new full-day model with learning, play and care for children from 7am to 7pm. The&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":96057,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96055","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96055","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=96055"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96055\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/96057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=96055"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=96055"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=96055"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}