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Sky’s the limit for pre-school deputy centre lead

SINGAPORE — After working her way up from teacher to vice-principal at Kinderland pre-school, Ms Nuraslinda Safaruan decided to pursue her dream of becoming an air stewardess in 2013.

Ms Nuraslinda Safaruan enjoys the sense of fulfilment pre-school teaching offers. Photo: Nuria Ling

Ms Nuraslinda Safaruan enjoys the sense of fulfilment pre-school teaching offers. Photo: Nuria Ling

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SINGAPORE — After working her way up from teacher to vice-principal at Kinderland pre-school, Ms Nuraslinda Safaruan decided to pursue her dream of becoming an air stewardess in 2013.

She joined regional airline SilkAir for two years, then found herself wanting to return to teaching.

The 32-year-old is now a deputy centre lead at the National Trades Union Congress’ My First Skool and says the fulfilment of pre-school teaching and how much she missed the children were what drew her back to the profession.

She first joined the pre-school sector in 2006 after completing her diploma in early childhood leadership at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

On job satisfaction, Ms Nuraslinda said: “You’re able to change a kid from not knowing how to do something ... some parents are not aware of how to help their children too, and we will try a lot of ways, and share the best practices with them.”

She once taught a child with special needs who could not articulate what he wanted. She gave him cue cards and taught him how to express himself. On Teachers’ Day, she was pleasantly surprised when the child’s parents emailed the school to thank her for her work.

“I really felt like I made a difference,” she said.

Regardless, switching careers back then has proved beneficial. She had to deal with “many different kinds of passengers and face different behaviours” while working as cabin crew — a skill she now applies when managing parents at the pre-school.

“Safety was a huge component in flying, which I brought back (to the pre-school profession) too. You should never compromise on safety, especially with children,” she added.

Parents are now more open to play-based education than when she first started teaching, but Ms Nuraslinda still faces some challenges.

“Not every parent is open to trying new ways of improving their kids’ behaviour,” she said. “It’s a constant work in progress. The parents and us must work hand-in-hand.”

Her profession has also prepared her for motherhood. For example, when her 10-month-old son plays with a tissue box, she does not take it away from him. Instead, she sees it as an opportunity for him to learn hand-eye coordination.

Such methods are what she hopes to pass on to other parents. With pre-school teachers receiving more professional development opportunities, the public’s perception of their role and the quality of pre-school education has improved, she said.

“Most people used to think we were nannies, changing diapers and such. But now, we engage parents more and work closely with them. They don’t think that anymore,” she said.

More measures to strengthen the sector were announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the National Day Rally yesterday. Ms Nuraslinda was cited by Mr Lee as an example of a good pre-school teacher who will help children to enjoy a head start in life and give parents greater ease of mind.

She hopes that more people will join the profession. With an increase in numbers, more teachers will be able to go for training, and teacher-student ratios in group-care classes can also be reduced.

“It’s going to be challenging but fulfilling. You’re always learning,” she said.

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