SINGAPORE — The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) will be taking various steps to alleviate the manpower crunch plaguing the pre-school sector. Among other things, it hopes to increase the capacity of training programmes, including in the polytechnics, and raise the image of pre-school educators through public education. The agency is also looking at having a “seamless” transition for childcare educators who wish to teach at kindergartens and vice versa. Currently, educators have to be re-registered and re-certified.

To improve career development for early childhood educators, the agency would pro-actively work with training providers and put together relevant upgrading courses.

ECDA Chief Executive Officer Lee Tung Jean acknowledged the concerns about the salaries of early childhood educators. She noted, however, that raising the salaries would be a “big challenge”, given the diversity of the sector. Nevertheless, the agency is looking at ways to close the pay gap between early childhood educators and allied educators, who have equivalent qualifications.

“Going forward, as we have more and more anchor operators, they will, in a way, set the market benchmark,” Dr Lee said.

Between 2009 and November last year, about S$69 million had been disbursed to the anchor operators, which are required to submit regular reports and audited statements on the utilisation of the grants. Currently, there is a separate audit function to make sure that the grants trickle down and boost the salaries of early childhood educators, Dr Lee said.

On the manpower shortage, she said the sector would continue to be “cautious” in hiring foreigners, although she acknowledged that some childcare centre operators are hiring foreign educators for niche areas such as teaching Chinese language.

“Parents will still be a lot more comfortable if their child’s teacher or main caregiver is actually someone who has also lived in and understood the environment,” Dr Lee said. “If there really is a need, we can consider increasing S Passes but I think that is certainly not the first lever we will push when we talk about increasing manpower.”

Going forward, the agency wants to encourage stay-at-home mothers to join the industry as they already have some of the required skill sets. They can also work part-time and continue to fulfil their family commitments, the ECDA chief said.