MS CECILIA Ko raised several questions about the Advanced Diploma in Kindergarten Education-Teaching in her online letter, 'Is fast-track course for kindergarten teachers necessary?' (Feb 19).

The objective of the diploma is to train diploma-holders and graduates to be qualified kindergarten teachers. This is to help meet the large demand for well-trained kindergarten teachers. Hence, it does not include modules on leadership, research and care for children younger than three years of age.

Instead, the emphasis of the course is on child development and curriculum and pedagogy, where trainees will be equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to work in kindergarten settings with children aged four to six years old.

Nevertheless, diploma holders interested in leadership and research, as well as the care for younger children, can still take up the Specialist Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education course, which will prepare them to teach and lead in kindergarten and childcare centres.

The training hours for the advanced diploma include practicum hours and are shorter than the Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education-Teaching course as the entry requirements to the two courses are different. Trainees of the advanced diploma course must have either a polytechnic diploma or a university degree, while trainees of the Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education-Teaching course need GCE O-level credits.

Trainees of the advanced diploma will be employed by kindergartens which would have in place a process to screen applicants for the right disposition and aptitude to become kindergarten teachers.

The expected salaries of kindergarten teachers published on the Ministry of Education (MOE) preschool website are based on the declaration by MOE-registered kindergartens on the range of salaries they pay to their teacher employees. MOE does not provide guidelines on the pay scale of teachers in childcare centres licensed by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.

We thank Ms Ko for her feedback.

Sum Chee Wah (Miss)
Director, Educational Programmes
Ministry of Education

This article was first published in The Straits Times.