Parents fight to keep non-profit preschools alive, as popularity of MOE kindergartens grows

SINGAPORE — As enrolment for Ministry of Education (MOE) kindergartens jumped 15-fold since they entered the scene in 2014 to raise the quality of early-childhood practices and keep preschool education affordable, the ones who used to fill this gap — faith-based preschools — have been shutting down by the dozens.

This year is no different, and now more than 50 parents across two schools here are fighting back with petitions and self-initiated marketing campaigns, decrying a lack of diversity in the landscape if the trend continues.

One parent, Mrs Grace Ong, 33, whose four-year-old daughter goes to Serangoon Gardens’ Zion Kindergarten that is facing imminent closure by year end, said: “The education system has already been accused of being rigid and producing young Singaporeans like a factory production line.

“If even the kindergartens are taken over by a sole vendor, what will happen to diversity in the landscape of the country?”

Enrolment in MOE preschools rose from 250 in 2014 to 3,841 this year. Currently there are 24 preschools, with the number set to grow to 43 by 2022.

Meanwhile, faith-based preschools are fighting to stay in existence. Earlier this year, St James' Church Kindergarten adopted seven preschools to help keep them running.

One parent petitioning for St Andrew’s Cathedral Child Development Centre in Jurong West to remain open, a 36-year-old engineer who wanted to be known only as Mr Tan, said there are now fewer centres focusing on transmitting good values, and where teachers lead by example.

What do the not-for-profit kindergartens have to offer that sets them apart? Parents cite the intangibles: A strong emphasis on the child’s character and emotional development, and a certain “kampung spirit” that is evident in how principals and teachers know every child by name.

NO PRIORITY ADMISSION TO PRIMARY SCHOOLS A MAJOR DRAWBACK

Zion Kindergarten in Serangoon, for one, is said to have built a reputation in these aspects since it was established more than 60 years ago, in 1956. The then-bustling Christian kindergarten even sparked the creation of Zion Serangoon Bible-Presbyterian Church, which now supports it.

But its principal Hannah Ong said one major drawback is that unlike MOE kindergartens, it does not offer priority admission to a primary school.

And while the privately-run institution has tried to keep rates low at S$1,200 per 10-week term for three-hour sessions, the MOE kindergartens are charging S$160 per month for Singaporeans, and there are further subsidies.

"Right now we're really trying our best to keep our kindergarten going," Ms Ong said.

"Even for teachers, it took everyone a while to really have reality sink in. The teachers are worried because they will not find another place like this... It's really like a second family to everybody."

Also, small private operators like Zion are left with a small slice of the pie as they contend with large commercial operators and international preschools.

The result is a “six-figure” operating loss projected for the next school year in 2020, which would have to be absorbed by the church, said Mr Wendell Chua, an elder at Zion Serangoon Bible-Presbyterian Church.

More than 40 of its students will be graduating this year, but the school has received fewer than 10 new sign-ups for its pre-nursery class.

‘EASY TO CLOSE A GOOD SCHOOL, BUT NOT EASY TO OPEN ONE’

A town hall meeting involving parents was called in May to announce its closure by year end, but strong parental reaction had moved the management to give its enrolment drive another push. It currently needs at least 25 new students by September to carry on.

To achieve that, close to 20 parents have banded together to brainstorm marketing ideas and come up with promotional flyers, design posters and social media campaigns.

On July 27, the school will also host a carnival cum open house, where parents will organise booths, and be the event’s greeters and ushers.

Ms Ong Kai Ling, 38, whose three-year-old son attends Zion Kindergarten, said she is getting involved as “it is easy to close a good school, but not easy to open one”.

Ms Kerri Tan, a 38-year-old mother of two, is also spearheading efforts although her K2 child who goes to Zion Kindergarten will not be affected by its closure.

“They have a wonderful set of teachers and principals who work for the children,” she said.

“They have so much love for the children you don’t see anywhere else. If you visit the school in the mornings, you can see the kids running in to hug their teachers.”

Although she is a free thinker, she felt the Bible education the school incorporates into its curriculum is good for her children as it teaches them “to love, be patient, and care”. Children learn these attributes by living examples — their teachers — she added.

A similar effort at St Andrew’s Cathedral Child Development Centre saw more than 30 — about half — of the centre’s parents petitioning for a change of mind, and drafting a proposal working out how it could continue to exist.

THE ROCKY PATH AHEAD

An option for Zion Kindergarten was to convert into a childcare centre, which would make it possible for parents to tap into government subsidies, such as the basic subsidy of S$300 for working mothers opting for full-day childcare programmes.

But Mr Chua said a childcare operation would require more space per child, and that would mean Zion would have to reduce its maximum capacity from 120 to 70.

Taking in 50 fewer children may not be a solution in helping the school break even either, he pointed out.

While an uphill task lies ahead, Zion will take the opportunity to “sharpen its saws” as it is “forced to be creative”, Mr Chua said.

“We are experiencing the ripple effect of the government changing the landscape, but like all things, we try to look at the positives and we do see many opportunities to stand out even in the midst of very big operators,” he added. “We can still differentiate ourselves.”