Press Releases
Celebrating the Collective Achievements of Early Childhood Professionals and Preschools
02 Nov 2024
CELEBRATING THE COLLECTIVE ACHIEVEMENTS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONALS AND PRESCHOOLS
1 The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) held the Early Childhood Celebrations (ECC) today, themed “Celebrating Together, Partnering for Success”. The ECC is the annual celebratory event that brings together three anchor Early Childhood (EC) programmes that recognise the achievements of EC professionals and preschools: ECDA Awards for Excellence in Early Childhood Development (ECDA Awards), the Singapore Preschool Accreditation Framework (SPARK) Certificate Presentation Ceremony, and the Start Small Dream Big (SSDB) Finale.
2 ECDA Chief Executive Tan Chee Wee said, “The progress made in the EC sector is only possible with the strong collaborative spirit and partnership amongst educators, operators, parents and community partners. This celebration is our annual key event to unite as one EC fraternity and community. Together, we celebrate the achievements of our educators, preschools and partners, who play essential roles to shape our next generation and our tomorrow.”
Partnering for Excellence: ECDA Awards 2024
3 Twenty-seven EC educators, Early Intervention (EI) professionals and centres were honoured at the ECDA Awards 2024 for their contributions towards enhancing quality and inclusiveness of EC education. In its 12th year, the Awards stands as a hallmark of recognition for exemplary infant and early years educators, preschool educators and leaders, EI professionals and centres for achieving excellence in teaching and learning, as well as innovative practices. Over the years, 283 awards have been given to deserving awardees. The list of 2024 winners can be found in Annex A.
4 Since 2021, the ECDA Awards have included EI professionals, recognising their vital role in supporting children with developmental needs. This year’s Outstanding EI Professional Award was presented to Choo Shu Min Jocelyn from AWWA, whose personal philosophy centres on inclusivity: “All children should have access to education and the opportunity to participate in all classroom activities, regardless of their needs. I ensure that my teaching methods are tailored to meet the unique needs of each child. When parents and educators work together, we can see meaningful progress and positive outcomes for our children, beyond the intervention sessions.”
Partnering for Quality: SPARK-certified preschools
5 SPARK certification, a mark of quality for preschools in Singapore, aids preschools in identifying areas to enhance quality standards in their programmes and management practices. It also fosters continuous improvement and excellence in EC care and education to support the holistic development and well-being of young children. 161 preschools are recognised this year for achieving the SPARK certification. This brings the total number of SPARK-certified preschools to 1,060, representing over 58% of all preschools in Singapore. Among the government-funded preschools, 96% of the Anchor Operator (AOP) preschools and 99% of the Partner Operator (POP) preschools have been SPARK certified.
Partnering to Do Good: Celebrating 10 years of SSDB
6 Marking its 10th anniversary this year, SSDB has reached a record participation of over 80,000 preschoolers from 1,200 preschools — a ten-fold increase from the 8,000 children when it first started in 2015. This year, the preschoolers collectively contributed 2.8 million community service hours through their SSDB projects, with 56,000 parents supporting their children’s SSDB causes. Their projects also raised more than $350,000 for charity, including beneficiaries of the President’s Challenge.
7 Over the past 10 years, SSDB has involved more than 500,000 children in the movement. Altogether, they have clocked a total of 15.8 million community service hours and raised over $2 million for charity. The movement has also provided a meaningful platform for educators, parents and community partners to come together to support the holistic development of our children, and inculcate positive values such as kindness, compassion and respect.
8 Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli said, “SSDB has demonstrated how young children can discover the joys of volunteering and do good together with their families and preschools. Everyone has a part to play in building a caring and inclusive society. This year being the Year of Celebrating Volunteers, I am encouraged that more children, families, and preschools have participated in the SSDB movement. Let us inculcate in our young the right values and a culture of giving, as part of our efforts to strengthen the social compact in Singapore, which we call home.”
9 Information on the ECDA Awards, the SPARK Certificate Presentation Ceremony and the SSDB Finale can be found at Annex B or the websites below: