185 EC Educators Appointed to the Professional Development Programme 2025
1. At the Professional Development Programme (PDP) Appointment Ceremony 2025, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua, launched a new leadership development programme, Leadership Booster. Targeting experienced centre leaders in the early childhood (EC) sector, this is part of the Early Childhood Development Agency’s (ECDA) ongoing efforts to raise the quality of EC professionals and leaders in Singapore. He announced this at the Professional Development Programme (PDP) Appointment Ceremony 2025.
Strengthening Early Childhood Leadership Development
2. ECDA has partnered the National Institute of Early Childhood Development (NIEC), in its role as the Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Leadership, to develop Leadership Booster. This new leadership programme is specifically for centre leaders who have been in the role for at least three years. Available from July 2025, this programme will enhance participants’ core, and strategic and administrative leadership competencies through peer learning, practical application and community support. The programme will add to the current suite of leadership continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities for EC centre leaders (refer to Annex C for the list of leadership CPD opportunities).
3. Strong EC leaders shape children’s development through their influence on teaching quality, educators’ well-being and partnership with parents, among others. To strengthen EC leaders’ capabilities, ECDA introduced the Leadership Development Framework (LDF) in 2022 to provide a common reference point on the desired attributes and competencies for EC leaders in their leadership journey. ECDA will continue to engage the sector to strengthen the support for EC leaders through the LDF.
Appointment of PDP Participants
4. 185 EC professionals were appointed to PDP 2025, including 40 EC leaders (lead preschool educators and centre leaders). Participants will participate in the three-year programme to upskill and deepen their professional competencies.
ISSUED BY
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
About the Early Childhood Development Agency
The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) was set up in 2013. The autonomous agency oversees the regulation and development of infant, childcare and kindergarten programmes for children below the age of seven. To achieve their vision of giving every child a good start, the agency works in partnership with stakeholders to ensure that every child has access to affordable and quality early childhood development services and programmes. For more information, visit www.ecda.gov.sg.
Annex A - ECDA Professional Development Programme Appointment Ceremony - 19 May 2025
Annex B - ECDA Professional Development Programme Appointment Ceremony - 19 May 2025
Annex C - ECDA Professional Development Programme Appointment Ceremony - 19 May 2025