By Judith Tan

PARENTS trying to get their children into Nanyang Kindergarten soon may not have too long to wait.

The preschool is expanding its premises, building on its old school grounds along King's Road.

When ready by next March, the new campus will be able to take in more than 500 pre-nursery and nursery pupils.

Facilities include a gym room complete with a rock-climbing wall and a kitchen to teach pupils how to prepare basic meals.

Principal Lily Foo said the pupils now studying at the current kindergarten on Coronation Road will move into the new campus by the second term of next year.

Founded in July 1934, Nanyang Kindergarten is believed to have been the first Chinese kindergarten in the whole of Malaya.

'The new campus will be built on the 2,140-square-metre land and will be able to hold 526 children - about 30 per cent more than the present 400,' said Mrs Foo.

With two campuses, enrolment can reach up to 660, making Nanyang Kindergarten the largest in Singapore.

Fees will also increase but 'the committee has not decided by how much', Mrs Foo said.

The three-month term fee for pre-nursery classes is now $840 (without GST) while that for nursery and kindergarten classes is $780.

The waiting period for parents who want to enrol their children in the much sought-after preschool is about two years. There are 700 kids on the waiting list.

Hairstylist Jeremy Low said his son, Pat, now six , has been on the waiting list since he was one.

'After two years, he finally got into the pre-nursery class. It was well worth the wait because Pat was fully immersed in Mandarin at both the pre-nursery and nursery levels,' he said.

Mr Low said his son, who is now in K2, is very competent in Mandarin and expresses an interest in the language.

The kindergarten has so far raised $1.1 million through a gala dinner that will be held on Sunday, a children's concert, scheduled for Aug 16 and a singlethon on Oct 1.