Welcome Remarks and Speech by Minister Masagos Zulkifli ECDA Scholarships and Training Awards Presentation Ceremony

1.    Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I am very happy to join you at this year’s ECDA Scholarships and Training Awards Presentation Ceremony. First of all, I want to thank our educators, centre leaders and preschool operators for your dedication in keeping our children safe and cared for amid the recent haze conditions, at the same time continuing to support one another. 

2.    Your professionalism is an inspiration to us today, as we celebrate close to 400 participants, recipients who are at different stages of their early childhood career. Some of you are preparing to enter the profession, while others are deepening your practice and honing your craft as educators and leaders. Wherever you are on this journey, these awards celebrate more than your achievements. They celebrate the spirit that drives you — to keep learning and growing, and to never stop giving our children our best.

3.    My heartiest congratulations to each and every one of you. 

4.    Every child’s development begins at home, where family serves as the first and most lasting influence in shaping who they become. It is for this reason that educators and parents are natural partners, and only by working together, can ensure that every child is supported in a consistent and meaningful way, both at home and in school. For our educators, we must continue to strengthen our professionalism, with experience and domain knowledge. In doing so, we are better able to foster mutual respect in our relationships with the parents of the children in our care. 

5.    Key to this partnership is an educator who pays attention to the small things: a child who needs encouragement, a fellow educator who needs a little support, or a parent who needs reassurance. These moments may appear ordinary, but together, they shape our child’s confidence, curiosity and care for others. 

6.    This is why investing in our educators is central to our Quality Preschools 2030 plan. When every educator has the knowledge, skills and support to thrive in their profession and grow in their craft, our children benefit too.  

7.    The work of an early childhood educator though, goes beyond the classroom. Educators plan learning experiences, document each child’s development, and work alongside parents, and all these to support our children’s learning and well-being. These responsibilities are integral to delivering quality preschool education.

8.    We have heard educators ask for dedicated time to carry out these responsibilities sustainably. 

9.    Earlier this year, we shared that ECDA was reviewing educators’ working environment, including how to strengthen the adoption of non-contact time. This is protected time, away from direct teaching and care, to focus on other professional responsibilities.

10. While some preschools already provide non-contact time, the extent of such support varies across the sector. Establishing a common minimum will ensure that every educator has protected time to carry out these essential responsibilities. This will support more purposeful practice and more consistent quality of education for our children.

11. Today, I am pleased to announce that from 1 November 2027, ECDA will require all ECDA-licensed operators and centres to provide all certified educators with at least two hours of non-contact time each week. Operators will have about a year to prepare, review work arrangements and put the necessary support in place. Those who are able to offer more than the minimum are of course encouraged to do so.

12. At PCF Sparkletots Preschool @ Bedok Reservoir-Punggol Blk 508, for instance, educators are given in fact more than three hours of dedicated time per week to plan, reflect, prepare learning resources and engage parents. Centre Leader Nuzurul Ashikin Binte Shafi’ai shared that this helps educators be more organised and intentional in their teaching, and better able to adapt learning experiences to the needs of their children.

13. This is precisely what protected time should enable – not less attention for our children, but better preparation, more thoughtful practice for every child, and stronger preschool quality overall.

14. Creating better conditions for educators to do their best work is only part of the equation. We also need to ensure that educators have meaningful opportunities to deepen their expertise, grow as educators and leaders, and find fulfilment in their professional journey.

15. Over the past five years, the Government has invested more than $75 million in the professional development of our educators, through initiatives such as the Early Childhood Education Scholarship, Training Awards and Professional Development Programme. Together, these initiatives support educators at different stages of their careers, from aspiring educators just entering the profession to experienced educators and leaders taking on larger responsibilities.

16. We see the impact of these opportunities in educators like Ms Lim Qiu Ling, a Centre Leader at Skool4Kidz Preschool. Qiu Ling has spent 14 years in the early childhood sector and now, she is deepening her practice by pursuing a Master of Early Childhood Education at the Singapore University of Social Sciences under the Early Childhood Education Scholarship. Her journey shows that professional growth is a continuous journey.

17. Qiu Ling shared that balancing work and studies is not easy, but receiving the scholarship affirmed her potential for early childhood education. When we invest in educators like Qiu Ling, we strengthen the profession and its capacity to give every child a good start.

18. The needs of our educators, children and families will continue to evolve, and our approach to professional development therefore, must evolve accordingly. 

19. Today, educators can develop their skills and deepen their practice with a wide range of professional development opportunities. These include Continuing Professional Development courses, the peer-driven Early Childhood Learning Communities, as well as the Practitioner Inquiry initiative that support reflective practice and collective professional learning within their centres. ECDA will continue to refresh our programmes and professional development offerings, strengthening support in emerging areas and even phasing out programmes that no longer serve the sector's needs.

20. Ladies and gentlemen, behind every good start for a child is an educator who is valued, supported and empowered to give their best. Such support can look like protected time to plan and reflect, opportunities to grow, leadership that builds positive workplaces, encouragement from parents who value and partner our educators. 

21. To all our Scholarship and Training Award recipients, as well as our Professional Development Programme participants, continue to learn, stay curious and take pride in your profession. Your work not only shapes the children in your classroom today, but the future of the sector.

22. To your families, centre leaders, preschool operators, lecturers and colleagues, thank you for journeying alongside our educators and supporting their aspirations. 

23. Once again, my heartiest congratulations to all our recipients and participants. Thank you.