Number and Profile of Children who Do Not Attend Preschool
Ministry of Social and Family DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the profile of children not attending preschool and whether such education should be made compulsory. Miss Cheng Li Hui inquired about the statistics of unenrolled children and the barriers preventing their participation. Minister for Social and Family Development Mr Tan Chuan-Jin shared that 99% of children gain preschool experience by age six, with non-attendance often attributed to living overseas, parental preferences, or disadvantaged backgrounds. He explained that the government emphasizes accessibility and affordability over compulsory education to preserve parental choice. Minister for Social and Family Development Mr Tan Chuan-Jin also highlighted the KidSTART initiative as a proactive measure to support vulnerable families with early learning and development.
Transcript
53 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) in the last three years, what has been the number and percentage of each cohort of Singaporean children who have not attended preschool; (b) what is the typical profile of these children; (c) what are the main reasons preventing them from receiving preschool education; and (d) whether the Ministry will consider making preschool education compulsory.
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: Over the last three years, over 90% of Singaporean children aged five to six years were enrolled in preschools. By age six, close to 99% of Singaporean children would have some preschool experience.
The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) works with the community to reach out to Singaporean children who are not attending preschool by age five. Our community outreach partners conduct home visits to understand the family's situation and work closely with the family to overcome the barriers to the child's preschool participation.
There are various profiles of children not attending preschool, due either to their family's circumstances or preferences. For example, there are those who are living overseas, or whose parents prefer other options for their child's development, such as home-schooling, enrichment classes or specialised interventions. There are also children from more disadvantaged backgrounds.
We recognise the importance of the preschool years in a child's development, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, it is also important to preserve some parental choice and involvement in the type of experience a child has at preschool. Hence, 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, with proactive outreach and targeted assistance for those from more disadvantaged backgrounds.
In line with this approach, ECDA has started to progressively roll out KidSTART, a new initiative to reach out to and ensure that children from low-income and vulnerable families have early access to appropriate health, learning and developmental support, including attending quality preschool.