Local kindergartens in Singapore are run by private, community, religious, business or social organizations. The international system of Kindergartens on the other hand is meant for children whose parents are expatriates and would wish their children to learn an education system like that offered in their countries. Children from other nationalities who wish to undergo international education system are enrolled from varying nationalities. Additionally, there are ten kindergartens in Singapore for the ministry of education with a vision of having 15 more by the year 2016.
The Ministry of education Singapore seeks to improve the quality of kindergarten education by Sharing curriculum resources as well as other good practices with the pre-school sector and also providing high quality and low-cost pre-school education in the ministry’s kindergartens, in addition to developing curriculum resources that would be helpful in offering a quality learning experience for children in Kindergartens.The ministry also hat set goals that should be the outcome of kindergarten education for children. These include; knowing what is right or wrong, willingness to share and take turns with others, develop curiosity and exploration, ability to listen and speak with understanding, being comfortable and happy with themselves in addition to developing physical coordination and healthy habits and love for their families, teachers, friends and school.
Kindergartens in Singapore therefore aim at enhancing a child to develop some skills by the time they finish their kindergarten years. It also aims at instilling a set of moral and social values, good habits of playing and working with others and having positive attitudes towards healthy lifestyle, family values and community ties. To achieve this, children are taught language, numbers, social skills, outdoor activities, music and games. Enrollment starts as early as March for admissions in the following year. However, before enrolling for kindergartens in Singapore, children are normally sent to pre-school also known as play school as the parents undergo their daily chores. The kindergarten learning lessons in Singapore are scheduled to run for three to four hours every day between Mondays to Friday although some centres offer programs that go on for the rest of the day.