The Ministry of Education (MOE) is raising the bar so as to ensure higher-quality preschool education, in response to calls from MPs and parents for improvements.

By 2011, an accreditation system will kick in to help parents distinguish the better-run preschool centres from the others.

The changes come after a year-long review of standards at the 750 childcare centres and 500 kindergartens, by a committee chaired by Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Education) Masagos Zulkifli.

Announcing the changes yesterday, Mr Masagos explained that parents now expect a lot more from preschool education.

'While fewer than one fifth of Primary 1 pupils had at least one parent who attended post-secondary education 20 years ago, the ratio has increased to one half today,' he said.

Five MPs - Dr Ong Seh Hong (Marine Parade GRC), Madam Cynthia Phua (Aljunied GRC), Dr Amy Khor (Hong Kah GRC), Mr Michael Palmer (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) and Mrs Josephine Teo (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) - yesterday rose to call for higher standards.

Mr Palmer argued that the first six years of a child's development are crucial. Preschool education, he said, should be as good as primary and secondary education, if not better.

In response, Mr Masagos said MOE's target is for three in four preschool teachers to have at least a diploma and a pass in English by 2013.

Now, 55 per cent of the 7,500 preschool teachers have these qualifications.

The five O-level passes that all new teachers joining from next year need to have, must include English. They also need a diploma in preschool teaching.

Existing teachers with only three O levels need to have a pass in English and a diploma by 2013. Otherwise they will be allowed to teach only nursery or pre-nursery classes.

But they will get help to upgrade themselves.

They can apply for bursaries to cover 80 per cent of the course fees and a book allowance.

The MOE will also raise its annual grant to non-profit kindergartens with no links to religious or racial organisations.

The grant will go up from the current $17 million to $33 million by 2013, to help these centres keep fees low for less well-off families.

Now, only PAP Community Foundation kindergartens are eligible. The Government will also give grants to preschools with innovative courses.

There will also be new awards to recognise outstanding preschool teachers, and new opportunities for them to go on overseas study trips and attend conferences.

Teachers in this sector tend to be poorly paid and enjoy little recognition for their efforts.

At Bethesda (Katong) Kindergarten, three of the teachers have diplomas and another three are studying for them now.

Ms Doreen Loh, 53, a kindergarten teacher since 1980, has become more confident after her diploma course.

She said: 'I no longer conduct my lessons in the old-school style of talking and talking. I transform the class into a discovery centre and allow the children to express and explore learning concepts by themselves.'

hoaili@sph.com.sg

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LEE PEI QI