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Welcome Remarks by Minister Masagos Zulkifli at ECDA Scholarships and Training Awards Presentation Ceremony on 13 October 2023

Type: Official Speeches: Masagos Zulkifli, Official Speeches (All), Announcements, All

Topic(s): Children & Families, All

Published on 13 October 2023

  1. Ladies and gentlemen, a very good afternoon. I am happy to be here for the ECDA Scholarships and Training Awards Presentation Ceremony. I am glad to see many parents, lecturers, centre leaders and operators here to support our early childhood (EC) educators. You comprise the ecosystem of support and care around them.

     

    Strong eco-system of support for early childhood professionals

  2. This afternoon, we confer awards to 315 individuals. As educators joining or already in the EC sector, you are part of a 24,000-strong fraternity, who work hard day in day out to provide a good start for every child. Many of you join the sector not just as a profession but as a calling. You have a passion to nurture our children and provide them a safe space to grow and thrive.

     

  3. Recently, we have seen incidents of child mismanagement in our preschools. I can understand how some educators or parents of educators may be dismayed. Our educators are qualified professionals, with the requisite training and supervision. That is why we recognise these incidents to be exceptions. They should not have happened. Indeed, all of us must work together to prevent such incidents from happening.

     

  4. Through the incidents, I have witnessed and am heartened by the outpouring of public support for our educators – by parents, fellow preschool educators and the public. This signifies the impact our educators have made in the lives of our children, their families and the wider community. There is a recognition of the professionalism of educators, and deep appreciation of the good work educators put in daily for the children. Parents support you. The Government supports you. And the Government is committed to your well-being and development and will continue to push for better working conditions, meaningful professional development opportunities and fulfilling career progression for all EC educators.

     

    Variety of career pathways and career progression opportunities

  5. As our sector grows and matures, the career prospects and opportunities for our educators are increasing as well. This is reflected in the refreshed Skills Framework for Early Childhood. Compared to previously, where there was only 1 career pathway, and 13 job roles, the refreshed Skills Framework has 27 job roles over 3 career pathways. This means that alongside the deepening of your competencies, there are more opportunities for career progression. This could be in the form of moving upwards to take up centre leadership, curriculum or pedagogy specialist roles, or moving across to other early childhood roles such as in Learning Support or Early Intervention.

     

    Support for skills and competency development at different career stages

  6. Taking on a new role is exciting and we often need to learn and grow into our roles. To better support all EC professionals in their professional development, I am pleased to launch ECDA’s updated EC Continuing Professional Development Roadmap for early childhood educators. The updated EC CPD Roadmap has been extended from the initial 7 roles to cover all 15 roles under the EC Education pathway.

     

  7. The updated EC CPD Roadmap highlights the competencies that educators can prioritise and focus on acquiring in each role and at different career stages. It will help educators identify relevant courses from ECDA’s Course Prospectus to plan their learning and development. ECDA will continue to curate high quality CPD courses to equip our educators with the knowledge and skills to effectively support the learning and development of our children. I am confident that our educators will find the EC CPD Roadmap a useful tool to chart your path and support your professional growth.

     

  8. I would now like to turn our attention to centre leaders. Centre leaders play a key role in building a culture of care, professional growth and innovation in our preschools. The quality of EC education in preschools hinges on the quality of leadership. This is why over the years, ECDA has invested in the development of centre leaders through the Advanced Diploma in Early Childhood Centre Leadership (or ADECL).
  9. Together with NIEC, ECDA constantly works to improve programmes to equip new centre leaders. We have therefore revised the ADECL. The revised ADECL curriculum covers new and enhanced content relating to leadership skills in the areas of curriculum, pedagogy, as well as strategy and administration. I’m glad that the revised ADECL has been positively received since its roll-out in April this year.

     

  10. Our experienced centre leaders are equally important in guiding new leaders, mentoring experienced staff and contributing to the larger EC community. ECDA is working on a suite of CPD initiatives to enable them to hone their skills and develop their competencies further. We will share more details when ready.

     

  11. Through these suite of CPD initiatives, ECDA signals its commitment to support all early childhood educators in your development, regardless of where you are in your journey. 

     

    Supporting the career aspirations of in- and pre- service educators

  12. In-service and aspiring educators like yourselves are important to us. We seek to support you as you embark on this exciting journey in the EC sector, and one way we do so is through the Scholarship and Training Awards. Since 2015, more than 3,000 educators have benefitted from the Training Awards, and more than 190 individuals have been supported through our scholarships.

     

  13. Among us today are 291 Training Award recipients, 16 ECDA Training Award Commendation Award recipients and 8 ECDA Scholarship recipients. Congratulations to all of you! These Awards are a recognition of your efforts and an encouragement to continue pursuing excellence in the EC sector.

     

  14. One recipient is Ms Celeste Ng Qi Yin, a Senior Teacher in Superland Preschool. In 2016, Celeste took up the ECDA Training Award while pursuing her Diploma in Child Psychology & Early Education in Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Having gained practical experience on the ground, she is now supported by the ECDA Scholarship to pursue her degree in Bachelor of Early Childhood Education with Minor in Special Education at SUSS.
  15. Celeste’s journey is not without challenges. Balancing academic pursuits, practical training and personal commitments demand exceptional time management and resilience. Besides embracing these challenges, Celeste promotes a mindset of continuous professional development amongst her peers, while striving to provide each child with equal opportunities regardless of his or her ability or background.

     

  16. Let me also share the journey of Ms Razena Banu Binte Mohamed Yusof, a TA Commendation Award recipient.

     

  17. Razena completed her Diploma in Early Childhood Development and Education from NIEC (Temasek Polytechnic) and is now an educator at PCF Sparkletots Preschool. Prior to her diploma studies, she worked for 8 years in EC-related jobs. Razena believed in equal access to quality education and always strives to break down barriers to learning. She is now well equipped with the necessary skills for working with children of diverse needs and backgrounds and has plans to further her studies in early childhood education.

     

    Conclusion

  18. As EC professionals, you play an important role in our children’s holistic development and giving them a solid foundation in life. These are seeds you sow for the future.  Remember to always put the interests of the children at the heart of all you do.

     

  19. As you embark on this meaningful journey, continue pursuing these attributes: Resilience; working In a Team, Passion for Children, Professionalism, Love for Learning; and Empathy or RIPPLE for short. Attributes which are found in the CPD Roadmap. In so doing, you will create ripples in the lives of children that you work with.

     

  20. To family members, lecturers, and employers here, thank you for your unwavering support and guidance as you walk this journey together with our Scholarship and Training Award recipients. 

     

  21. Congratulations once again to our Scholarship and Training Award recipients! I wish you all a fulfilling career in the early childhood sector.