PCF to work closely with Govt to lift pre-school standards

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday morning that the PAP Community Foundation (PCF) will work closely with the Government to raise the quality of pre-schools for the mass market while keeping costs affordable.

Speaking at the PCF's annual family day at the Singapore Zoo, he noted that PCF, which has been running kindergartens since the 1960s, has consistently upgraded its services in areas like teacher training and curriculum development. The PCF is one of two anchor operators in the pre-school sector that receive recurrent funding to lower their operating costs in return for meeting service standards set by the Govenrment.

The PCF executive committee chairman Lawrence Wong, who is also Senior Minister of State for Education and Information, Communications and the Arts, said that PCF is encouraged by the Government's plans to make greater investments in the sector. He said that it will focus on teacher attraction, training and retention.

He also said the PCF welcomes the announcement that more anchor operator for preschools will be introduced and is open to partnering with other operators as it expands.