SINGAPORE - About 2,000 more government-supported preschool places will be opened in the Yishun planning area by 2022, in a move to ensure residents will have greater access to affordable education.

There are 67 childcare centres in Yishun planning area, which is made up of Yishun Central, Northland, Yishun East, Yishun South, Lower Seletar Reservoir, Springleaf, Nee Soon, Khatib and Yishun West.

About one-third of the existing centres are in Yishun South, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim on Tuesday (Nov 5) in Parliament.

He was responding to Ms Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC) who asked about plans to provide pre-school centres and student care centres in Yishun South.

Childcare centres provide full-day and half-day care programmes to children below age seven while student care centres provide care and supervision to children from seven to 14.

Dr Faishal said the Ministry of Education (MOE) has steadily increased the number of school-based student care centres in recent years.

By 2020, all 185 primary schools are set to have student care centres.

Nearly half, or 45 per cent, of the 3,021 students enrolled in school-based student care centres are from lower-income families and pay subsidised fees under the Ministry of Social and Family Development's (MSF) Student Care Fee Assistance scheme.

For Nee Soon South in particular, there is a student care centre in Naval Base Primary School and Peiying Primary School, Dr Faishal added.

Another two such centres are in the community.

"Together, these four centres have enrolled about 400 students, with sufficient capacity to meet demand," he said, adding that MSF and MOE will continue to monitor the demand and expand capacity when necessary.

Dr Faishal also said that student care centres are subject to audit checks.

Those that wish to administer the Student Care Fee Assistance scheme have to meet such requirements as having at least 3 sq m of space per student, a structured programme for learning and development, and at least one staffer trained in first aid present at all times.

MSF conducts audits on registered student care centres, which may include surprise checks, at least once every two years, to ensure compliance with requirements. "More frequent checks may be conducted as needed, for example, to look into feedback and complaints received," he said.

"We want to make sure the child's time in the student care centre is meaningful, value added and helps in their educational journey," he added.