Critical Analysis of a Curriculum Model: The Singapore Kindergarten Curriculum - Essay Example

Critical Analysis of a Curriculum Model THE SINGAPORE KINDERGARTEN CURRICULUM Sin Yan Lan, Grace No: 90849158 Table of Contents Page No. INTRODUCTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 DISCUSSION ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 The Singapore Kindergarten Curriculum: Cultural, Political and Theoretical Basis-------------- 3 Nurturing Early Learners: Framework for a Kindergarten Curriculum in Singapore-------- 4 The Issues and Debates Related to the Singapore Kindergarten Curriculum: Nurturing Early Learners, 2003------------- 6 The Singapore Kindergarten Curriculum: Future Prospects-------------------- 9 CONCLUSION --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 REFERENCES --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Critical Analysis of a Curriculum Model THE SINGAPORE KINDERGARTEN CURRICULUM Introduction In the contemporary world of globalisation and information technology, Singapore’s public policy for optimal development gives priority to education, starting from the kindergarten early years through all levels of educaion. The main goal is to motivate the new generations of students towards academic achievements and all-round development. “This drive towards excellence in education has implications for the way preschool education in Singapore is shaped, and the way children and their education, care and overall development are perceived” (Ling-Yin, 2006, p.204). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the Singapore Kindergarten Curriculum. The cultural, political and/ or theoretical constructs that underpin the curriculum, and the issues and debates therein will be investigated. Discussion All registered kindergartens in Singapore come under the purview of the Ministry of Education. Kindergartens cater to the needs of children aged between three and six years, with children aged three in nursery classes, and children four to six years of age in kindergarten (K1 and K2) classes. Class size may range from twenty to forty children (Lim, 1998). Preschool and kindergarten prepare the young child for admission to school at the age of seven years. In Singapore, the term ‘preschool’ includes both child care centres and kindergartens, available in both the private and public sectors. Preschool programmes are provided by numerous large organisations such as The People’s Action Party Community Foundation which organises up to 70% of the kindergarten classes for preschoolers, the People’s Association and the National Trade Union Congress (Lim, 1998). The range of settings include religious-based preschools such as those managed by churches, workplace child care centres, private kindergartens such as Montessori kindergarten, government-subsidised kindergartens, commercial organisation- or private-run facilities (Ling-Yin, 2006). The Singapore Kindergarten Curriculum: Cultural, Political and Theoretical Basis Early years’ provision for education and care has been extremely diverse in Singapore until the formulation and implementation of the Ministry of Education’s Nurturing Early Learners: A Framework for a Kindergarten Curriculum in Singapore in 2003. Before introducing the new curriculum, in spite of the centralised management of the various forms of preschool settings by the Ministry of Education, the provision for early childhood remained extremely varied, differing according to the social strata, cultural group, family and parental needs. Because of the diversity in demands, preschools in Singapore differed widely in terms of their programme content, and overall teaching and learning approaches (Retas & Kwan, 2000; Fan-Eng & Sharpe, 2000). Significantly, kindergartens have had the autonomy to formulate their own curriculum based on their individualised goals and philosophies. The quality and effectiveness of each kindergarten differed according to parental expectations, curricular emphasis, educational philosophy and general pedagogic beliefs of the facility regarding the requirements for the early years (Ling-Yin, 2006). The preschools run by the People’s Action Party Community Foundation (PAPCF) adhered to a common syllabus. The curriculum promoted by Project Preschool Programme for the PAPCF centres was focused on activity-based learning (Lim, 1998). On the other hand, preschools run by the major providers of early childhood education did not follow a common syllabus. However, they implemented the main curriculum guidelines emulating the design of successful programmes followed overseas. In the earlier environment of diverse curriculums, the aim of preschools, according to research evidence from a survey conducted on 935 sets of parents (Sharpe, 1993), were two-fold: preparation for school and laying the foundation for bilingualism. Through the years, parents have strongly supported an academic-type curriculum with an emphasis on written work, homework and tests, English and the students’ home language. Tan-Niam (2000, p.140) reiterates that parents’ expectations for their kindergarten children “includes a curriculum of high academic focus” based on the development of literacy, linguistic and overall academic skills. Nurturing Early Learners: Framework for a Kindergarten Curriculum in Singapore To change the diverse nature of early years’ provision in Singapore, there was a crucial need for the introduction of a standardised, national kindergarten framework. In January 2003, the new preschool curriculum titled Nurturing Early Learners: A Framework for a Kindergarten Curriculum in Singapore, Ministry of Education, 2003, was launched (MOE, 2003). The publication of this document marked the significant beginning of a nationally endorsed high quality, common curriculum for children in preschools. It also signified that policy makers and governmental agencies were in agreement with practitioners and educational bodies, regarding the importance of this phase of schooling (Ling-Yin, 2006). The concept of ‘child-centredness’ forms the impetus behind the new common kindergarten framework which is based on the philosophy of achieving desired outcomes. The curriculum is consistent and clear, and promotes the emotional, social and moral development of the individual with an added emphasis on learning. According to MOE (2003), a set of six principles are key to the aims and goals of the kindergarten curriculum, they are: Holistic development and learning, integrated learning, active learning, supporting learning, learning through interactions, and learning through play. Further, the above principles are based on six practices which help in working towards fulfilling the principles and achieving the goals They are: using a child-centred approach, fostering a positive learning climate, preparing the learning environment, planning and structuring learning activities, setting up resources and observing children. The six principles and practices of the framework clearly indicate the underpinning philosophy of early years education in Singapore. They are universal, applicable to every environment, and the emphasis is on learning (MOE, 2003). The need for reform was compelled by human capital theory (SGV, 2008), which believes that promoting citizens’ progress and achievements enables the nation to advance successfully. Lacking in natural resources, Singapore has rapidly progressed economically and socially only on the strength of its knowledge based economy. The country views education as the way to gain competitive advantage in a globalised world. Hence, the main aim of kindergarten education in Singapore is to promote a love for learning. “A child who sees learning as pleasurable and challenging has a headstart on the journey of life-long learning and looks forward to the varied opportunities to explore and discover the many facets of our world” (MOE, 2003, p.11). The other aims of kindergarten education are that children should be encouraged to enjoy observing, exploring and discovering the world. For the long-term goal of developing a thinking nation and life-long learners, children need to be nurtured from the beginning, to learn to think and to think to learn. Language and thought are closely related, hence to develop thinking skills, it is necessary to develop language abilities. Therefore, it is crucial for the kindergarten curriculum to lay a strong foundation for language skills. A strong emphasis on values is essential to any educational programme. Nurturing right values such as interaction with others, sharing and concern for others, have to be incorporated in the educational system. The goal is to promote the child’s confidence and comfort about engaging in new learning experiences, and to participate successfully in all areas (MOE, 2003). The Issues and Debates Related to the Singapore Kindergarten Curriculum: Nurturing Early Learners, 2003 The new kindergarten curriculum Nurturing Early Learners: A Framework for a Kindergarten Curriculum in Singapore, 2003, integrates both child care and preschool into the same kindergarten programme. In order to help change parents’ attitudes regarding education, the new framework includes a strong emphasis on home-school partnerships (SGV, 2008). The focus is more on the importance of play and the holistic development of the child, rather than on academics. As an active learner, the child learns through opportunities for play and interaction. The emphasis is on a broad-based curriculum with a child-centred approach, providing an informal experience of learning in the early stages of development. However, Ling-Yin (2006) argues that even though the attempt is to promote a child-centred, interactional curriculum, there are vital concerns with regard to the basic principles of the framework. The complex contradictions and tensions that surround the ‘integrated’ curriculum show the danger of the curriculum contradicting itself in its implementation and interpretation. “Economic functionality remains a cornerstone of educational policies” (Tan, 2007, p.36). The challenge for the new kindergarten framework is to resist the pressure form social, economic, cultural and political forces, and to withstand the pressure towards other approaches of preschool education. This complex situation is inherent to early years education in Singapore and also globally. The new curriculum is based on the Desired Outcomes of Preschool Education (MOE, 2000), issued by the Ministry of Education which emphasizes the development of social skills and beneficial attitudes in preschoolers and kindergarten children. Sharpe (2000, p.125) agrees that “recent attempts to provide a more integrated curriculum” have caused a shift away from an academic-type of curriculum in which the emphasis is on a subject-centred and achievement-oriented environment. The role of the teachers as planners and facilitators for children’s learning, is also enhanced through the curriculum. To achieve the desired outcomes of the kindergarten programme, teaching and learning are linked with monitoring, assessment, reporting, planning and reflection. The services adopt a child study approach through training teachers for observation, documentation and portfolios that are shared with parents (SGV, 2008). On the other hand, the curriculum does not take into consideration social and cultural issues unique to Singapore. The multicultural composition of Singapore, and its impact on the curriculum is not included in the curriculum. The concepts of citizenship, the implications of building a national identity in a culturally diverse society such as Singapore are concepts that need to be incorporated into the preschool curriculum. The preschool practitioners are thus given unrestricted freedom to interpret and implement the new curriculum on the basis of their experience. In spite of the inadequacy regarding social and cultural context, central to the new curriculum is the concept of education as developmental, rather than traditional (Ling-Yin, 2006). The new curriculum Nurturing Early Learners, 2008 (SGV, 2008) has a number of key components that enhance its effectiveness. There is strong support from several government ministries, the framework is implemented after research evidence advocates the curriculum, based on developmentally appropriate practice guidelines, the guidelines are strong, simple and straight forward, but are not prescriptive and they are implemented by all centres. Moreover, the new curriculum is concurrent with international kindergarten programmes, and has changed the approach radically in Singapore. It is supported by other reforms such as those for improved teacher training. Further, the current trend is that kindergartens are increasingly providing equal exposure to English language and one of the other official languages: Mandarin, Malay, or Tamil. The emphasis on bilingualism which starts in the early kindergarten years is continued through all levels of education (Lim, 1998). On the other hand, Lim & Torr (2008) believe that in preschool teaching, the predominant emphasis is on English. Singaporean preschool teachers prepare their young students with English literacy skills for future formal education in English as the medium of instruction. The evidence from research conducted by the authors revealed that according to the teachers surveyed, there were three broad categories which underpinned the teaching techniques and the acquring of English literacy skills by young children. These centred around teachers’ construction of themselves as active facilitators of children’s learning, their concepts of the child as learner, and the impact of parental pressures on teachers’ decision making. It is important for kindergarten teachers and government policy makers to consider various criteria in planning the preschool curriculum. They are: the inter-related and inter-dependent personal, social, emotional, physical and intellectual aspects of children in the preschool years. “Activities should provide for rich and stimulating experiences” (MOE, 2003, p.32). It is clear that the concept of an early years curriculum that is relevant and centred on the child is far more complex than it appears. In the race to maximise the potential of young children, kindergarten curriculums should not be “driven wholly by socio-economic demands and necessity” (Ling-Yin, 2006, p.210). Current international trends in preschool education is towards an integration of services for young children and their families. The focus is on combining childcare, education, healthcare and family support. At various levels, policy formulation has taken into account the need for partnership between kindergarten and care services, as well as between the services and families (Nichols & Jurvansuu, 2008). The Singapore Kindergarten Curriculum: Future Prospects With new legislative measures and establishment of regulations for provision of child care, preschool education will increasingly stress on a higher quality of care based on developmental, health and educational aspects of children during early childhood. Concurrently, the increasing establishment of child care services for growing numbers of preschoolers, has resulted in a shortage of trained staff. Similarly, with greater enrolment in preschools, there is a requirement for the maintenance of higher standards of performance and safety. At the same time, there is the need to maintain low tuition fees because of rising costs. Hence, the government will be responsible for increased provision of teacher training facilities and budgetary allotment for safe, well-equipped and innovative kindergartens. The multiple challenges compel the centres to include parent education, family support, and before- and after-preschool care (Lim, 1998). Conclusion This paper has highlighted the Singapore Kindergarten Curriculum, and critically analysed the programme. The cultural, political and theoretical basis of the new kindergarten curriculum: Nurturing Early Learners: Framework for a Kindergarten Curriculum in Singapore, 2003; and the issues and debates related to the curriculum have been investigated. The alignment of the Singapore kindergarten curriculum with current global trends, and its future prospects have been examined. The new curriculum caters for the cultural and linguistic diversity in Singapore. Children are expected to be bilingual, including English and their mother tongue. The curriculum emphasizes the concepts of the child as a learner in a play-based setting, the teacher as a facilitator, and encourages the home-school relationship. In Singapore. educational policies are formulated for maintaining the nation’s future economic progress through educated citizens. The new curriculum, though developmental and innovative, includes this practical approach. This is seen in the strengthening of home-school relationship in order to establish shared economic responsibility. References Fan-Eng, M. & Sharpe, P. (2000). Characteristics of preschool environments and teacher effectiveness in selected child care centres. In C. Tan-Niam & M.L. Quah (Eds.). Investing in our future: the early years, pp.66-83. Singapore: McGraw-Hill. Lim, C. & Torr, J. (2008). Teaching literacy in English language in Singaporean preschools: exploring teachers’ beliefs about what works best. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 9(2), 95-106. Lim, S.E.A. (1998). Preschools in Singapore: a historical overview. Early Child Development and Care, 144(1), 5-12. Ling-Yin, L.A. (2006). 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