In Parliament on 8 Apr 2026, I asked the Minister for Social and Family Development about the daily non-contact time available for our preschool teachers. Many educators are under tremendous strain and have very little time during the day when they are not actively supervising or teaching children. I wanted to know if the government tracks how much time they actually get to handle prep work or rest. I pushed for a review of the current teacher child ratio and suggested a tiered model with separate ratios for educators and assistants.
The Minister for Social and Family Development shared that the authorities do not currently track data on average non-contact time for educators. He explained that staff ratios were last reviewed in 2017 to balance safety and operational needs while noting that preschools can hire more than the minimum number of staff to help with daily routines.
Our preschool teachers shape the next generation and we must ensure their workload remains sustainable. Certified assistants should be entrusted to manage caregiving independent of educators, to give teachers more dedicated non-contact time. This would also help centres manage costs by staggering daily shifts between educators and assistants across the 12 hours they are typically open.
What are your views on the current staffing levels and structure in our preschools?
This is the full question and answer from 8 April 2026:
Average Daily Non-Contact Time For Educators In Preschools
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Ministry has data on the current average daily non-contact time for educators in preschools under the Anchor Operator and Partner Operator schemes; (b) when was the teacher-child ratio last adjusted; (c) whether the Ministry will review the current ratio; and (d) whether the Ministry will consider a tiered staffing model with distinct ratios for early childhood educators and ancillary care assistants.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) does not have data on the average daily non-contact time for educators in preschools.
When the Early Childhood Development Centres Act was enacted in 2017, minimum requirements for staff-to-child ratio for preschools were reviewed to ensure the safety and well-being of children. These ratios are calibrated based on the programme level of children, type of programme hours, and the qualifications of staff. For example, one qualified early years educator is required for every eight children at the Playgroup level during programme hours. During non-programme hours, or if an additional assistant early years educator is deployed during programme hours, this can increase to 12 children.
Preschools can and do operate with more than the minimum staff requirement to cater to their programming objectives and manpower deployment needs such as staff leave and training. On top of staff-to-child ratios, preschools may also deploy additional non-certified staff to assist certified educators with setting classroom routines, and the daily care and supervision of children.
Source: Singapore Parliament Reports (Hansard)