New relief staff pool for pre-schools by end-2024 to support educators

Move to help meet manpower needs and ensure reliable service standards

- Gabrielle Chan

Early childhood educators will get more help to balance their work and personal lives by end-2024, as the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) begins growing a relief staff pool.

The move also aims to help all pre-schools meet their manpower needs at reasonable hiring costs, while being assured of reliable service standards, ECDA said on Aug 29.

Selected service providers will be appointed and the decision watched a performance by children who were dressed in costumes made from upcycled materials, toured the centre and presented gifts to the teachers.

Mr Tharman said early child The event was attended by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua, who were joined by pre-schoolers and their parents, as well as 32 early childhood educators.

Mr Tharman and Mr Chua watched a performance by children who were dressed in costumes made from upcycled materials, toured the centre and presented gifts to the teachers.

Mr Tharman said early childhood educators and parents play a central role at this key stage of the child's growth. "They will help ensure that our kids grow up as rounded individuals, confident of themselves and, above all, appreciating the contributions that we make to each other," he said.