MOE Kindergartens will be taking in fewer students next year, as the Ministry of Education announced the registration dates to be on 4 and 5 April.
Media reported that the decision by MOE to cut back on enrolment was made in response to poor demand from parents. Education Minister Heng Swee Keat was reported as saying MOE was not chasing numbers for the kindergartens, but was instead focused on developing quality education at an affordable price.
All the kindergartens, with the exception of MOE Kindergarten @ Punggol View will see a reduction, some by up to half. The five kindergartens offered a total of 560 places in 2013.
Name of Kindergarten | Enrolment for 2015 intake |
MOE Kindergarten @ Blangah Rise – Blangah Rise Primary School, 91 Telok Blangah Heights |
60 |
MOE Kindergarten @ Dazhong – Dazhong Primary School, 35 Bukit Batok Street 31 |
80 |
MOE Kindergarten @ Farrer Park – Farrer Park Primary School, 2 Farrer Park Road |
60 |
MOE Kindergarten @ Punggol View – Punggol View Primary School, 9 Punggol Place |
120 |
MOE Kindergarten @ Tampines – Blk 489C Tampines St 45 |
60 |
Various reasons have surfaced since the first intake to explain the low take-up rate for the kindergartens, such as the location of the centres. MOE Kindergarten @ Punggol View was believed to have held its intake numbers because of the higher demand from young families in the area. It was not clear why MOE did not increase the intake for the Punggol View centre, despite it being over subscribed during the 2013 registration.
No mention was made about parents’ assessment of the quality of education provided in comparison to other kindergarten operators. When MOE first announced its intention to set up kindergartens, debates online have raised queries about MOE’s role in the pre-school education sector, and whether the Ministry should be running mirror facilities or focus on setting standards for the sector.
MOE has plans to roll out five more kindergartens, but has yet to announced where they will be and what their enrolment figures will be like. Senior Minister of State for Education Indranee Rajah was quoted in media reports earlier this year that they will be set up “at the right place”.
Parents who are keen to register their children for the MOE Kindergartens can visit at their open houses on Saturday, 1 March 2014, 9am to 11am.