Some nine in ten parents polled by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) in its inaugural Preschool Experience Survey have indicated their satisfaction with preschool safety standards and education quality.
The findings of the survey, commissioned in November 2025 and involving nearly 1,800 parents, were shared at the Start Small Dream Big Walkathon on Saturday (May 9) .
Organised by educational consultancy Preschool Market and supported by ECDA, the event brought together about 5,000 preschoolers, their families and early childhood educators to foster greater awareness of values-in-action and community involvement in children's development.
In a news release the same day, ECDA said its survey was conducted to understand parents' experiences and satisfaction across key aspects of their children's preschool journey.
This includes: quality of education, safety of the preschool environment, and confidence in the professionalism and expertise of early childhood educators.
The survey also sought to understand parents' priorities for their children's development, particularly their views on academic readiness relative to holistic development, ECDA said.
Key findings
The survey found that 95 per cent of parent-respondents are satisfied with preschool safety standards, while 89 per cent are satisfied with the quality of preschool education.
Some 89 per cent of respondents also indicated their satisfaction with the quality of partnerships with educators.
Meanwhile, 91 per cent recognised educators as trained professionals who play an important role in children's learning, development and well-being.
But ECDA also noted that the survey has spotlighted the need for closer alignment between parents and educators on children's holistic development.
"While some parents place greater emphasis on academic readiness, research has shown that holistic development, including social-emotional growth through play, is essential in early childhood education," the agency said.
Asked about areas important for their children before Primary 1, 33 per cent of parents had indicated that getting their children academically ready takes priority over social emotional development, while 30 per cent indicated that the focus on academic learning takes priority over play.
Strengthening partnerships with parents
ECDA chief executive Ku Geok Boon said the survey has given her agency rich insights on how it can continue raising the quality of early childhood education, as the sector continues to evolve.
"I am heartened that parents have strong trust in our preschools. Our next step is to strengthen the engagement between parents and educators, and support a shared understanding of how children learn best, in line with our Quality Preschools 2030 plan to support every child's holistic needs," she added.
Dr Cheong Su Fen, founder of Preschool Market and Associate Faculty at the Singapore University of Social Sciences' S R Nathan School of Human Development, said the findings highlight the need to help parents better understand developmentally appropriate practices for preschoolers.
"While it is natural for parents to want their children to succeed, research shows that nurturing children's emotional intelligence and learning through play creates the essential building blocks for future academic achievement," Dr Cheong added.
Following up on the survey, ECDA said it is working with preschools, educators and parents to develop a Parent-Preschool Partnership Guide, and scaling up best practices to strengthen parent-preschool partnerships.
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