World
English original
Singapore preschool teachers to get protected work time from November 2027
From November 2027, preschools licensed by the Early Childhood Development Agency in Singapore must provide teachers at least two hours a week away from teaching and child supervision for lesson planning and other work.
Preschool teachers in Singapore will receive at least two hours a week away from teaching and supervising children for lesson planning and other work from November 2027. The new requirement covers all centres licensed by the Early Childhood Development Agency.
It will apply to full-time certified early childhood educators. The protected time must be set aside within their working hours.
Known as non-contact time, it is reserved for professional responsibilities beyond teaching, caring for and supervising children. Those tasks include recording children's development, preparing learning materials and engaging parents and community partners.
Centres can schedule the time according to their operational needs, providing it daily, weekly, every two weeks or monthly. Each block must last at least one hour.
The agency said centres should provide the time regularly within educators' working hours. The arrangement should not lengthen their working hours.
The two-hour minimum is not an upper limit. Centres already offering more time, or able to do so, are encouraged to continue.
The requirement will be incorporated into the Early Childhood Development Centre Code of Practice. ECDA will work with preschool operators and other sector stakeholders to support its adoption.