Guide To Ministry of Education (MOE) Singapore Kindergarten National Curriculum And Schools

It’s not an unknown fact that early years of education are the foundation for a child’s future. Physiologically, the preschooler’s brain is undergoing massive changes. And it’s now, more than ever, that these physiological changes need to be coupled with sufficient learning to ensure that their development is right on track.  

MOE Kindergarten (MK) Singapore

The MOE Singapore provides kindergarten education to Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents (PR). The program is for children aged 5 to 6, K1 and K2, respectively. It runs for four hours, though there is also an option for full-day care. Currently, there are 36 MK locations across the country, which are found in primary MOE schools. According to their site, there will be 60 MK locations by 2025. All the kindergartens operate on a curriculum developed under the Nurturing Early Learners (NEL) Framework.

Who is the Program for?

Though Singapore citizens and PRs can avail themselves of the MOE kindergarten with minimal fees, others can do so as well. For example, Anchor Green Primary School at Sengkang offers MK. A Singapore citizen only pays a maximum monthly fee of $13. For the same school, a PR pays a maximum of $218, monthly. An international student who is a passport holder of any ASEAN nation (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam) pays a maximum monthly fee of $478. An international student coming from a non-ASEAN country pays $788/monthly. 

What are the Things to Consider When Choosing a Kindergarten?

Aside from cost and location, another thing to consider is your childcare needs. The MK offers both half-day (4 hours) and full-day (from 7 am to 7 pm) services. The full-day service, called Kindergarten Care (KCare), is found within primary schools only, which means not all 36 locations have it. KCare starts from 7 am, which means your child goes to KCare first, then to MK, and then back to KCare as per their schedule. It’s open from Mondays to Fridays, even on school holidays, though closed on public ones plus 6 more days every year.

Another thing to consider is the curriculum, while the MK is based on the NEL Framework, there are two flagship programs to choose from. These two are called the HI-Light program and the Starlight Literacy Program. The HI-Light program is designed to support the holistic development of children across six areas of learning. While the Starlight Literacy Program nurtures the child’s language skills through Big Books, songs, rhymes, and games set in the local context. In this program, the Mother Tongue Language (MTL) is offered in Chinese, Malay, or Tamil. 

Get to Know the MOE Kindergarten (MK) Curriculum

The NEL Framework

The MK curriculum operates on the NEL Framework. Central to the framework is the belief that children are curious, active, and competent learners. A child is inherently curious, and to nurture this, they should be encouraged to explore and discover the world. A child learns things actively, and this is done through experimentation and experience. Children are competent learners and build their knowledge over time to help them develop critical thinking and reasoning skills. 

With this in mind, the NEL framework came up with six principles (iTeach) for teachers to use when creating their lesson plans and approach. These ensure that the children develop curiosity, active and competent learning.

• integrated approach to learning
• Teachers as facilitators of learning
• engaging children in learning through purposeful play
• authentic learning through quality interactions
• children as constructors of knowledge
• holistic development 

NEL Learning Areas

The NEL framework identified six learning areas that are chosen and designed for the child’s holistic development. 

1. Aesthetics and Creative Expression: creative play and self-expression through art, music, and movement 
2. Discovery of the World: Children are encouraged to observe and ask questions 
3. Language and Literacy: Exposure to language-related activities such as role-playing, singing, rhyming, and reading 
4. Motor Skills Development: Physical play for gross and fine motor skills development
5. Numeracy: Learn mathematical concepts and skills
6. Social and Emotional Development: Children are taught to manage their feelings, thoughts, and behavior

Each learning area has a goal that the child should reach at the end of Kindergarten 2. 

Desired Outcomes of Education

A child learns through the iTeach approach, focusing on the six learning areas in the MK curriculum. Now, you might ask what is the reason behind all of this. The Singapore education system aspires every child to develop four desired outcomes. To become a confident person, a self-directed learner, an active contributor to society, and a concerned citizen who is rooted in Singapore. 

These four outcomes, when translated into developmental outcomes for kindergarten learners, become the following: 

• know what is right and what is wrong
• be willing to share and take turns with others
• be able to relate to others
• be curious and able to explore
• be able to listen and speak with understanding
• be comfortable and happy with themselves
• have developed physical coordination, healthy habits, participate in
• and enjoy a variety of arts experiences
• love their families, friends, teachers, and school