Last Updated on 2018-10-16 , 12:03 pm
Parents in general tend to form their own perceptions of the different types of pre-schools in Singapore. But do you know that even the pre-schools under your blocks have very unique characteristics that can actually benefit your child?
Indeed, pre-schools are well-equipped and ready to ensure that the starting learning journey of your child is well taken care of, and to ease his/her entry into Primary School. In other words, it’s something like National Service before men enter the workforce, but obviously they don’t tekan children in pre-school centres…
Right…?
Well, guess you just have to read on to find out.
Every preschool is like a Kampung community
Who says that the Singapore of today doesn’t have kampung spirit anymore? A kampung is basically a community where everyone knows and trust each other, and preschools under HDB blocks are prime examples of that.
How? Well, you see… because they’re just the right size, everybody knows everybody else by name. No stranger, just friends and mentors.
Sounds deep? Because I’m totally drowning. Help.
Plus, look at it this way.
Who goes to the preschool under your HDB block? Your neighbours’ child? Children from nearby estates? Peter Parker? The list is practically endless, but you get the gist; it’s a small world out there, and it gets even smaller within the confines of a neighbourhood.
As such, parents end up knowing each other; the children grow up together and make precious friendships that last for their entire life.
And even if they go to different schools, they’d still be able to get together for gatherings because they stay so close to one another. #truestory
To cap it off, the parents all know one another so you’d have more people keeping an eye out for your child. Nothing better than a free task force constantly on the watch.
And when your children grow up, they will remember the memories of that warm community for life.
Granted, it might be no McGriddles, but it will still be pretty sweet.
Cosy centres, happy children
There are many who have a pre-conceived notion that preschools below HDB blocks are small, but that’s because you’re an adult.
Don’t envisage the childcare centre from your point of view; envisage it through the eyes of a bright-eyed little child. Downsize a bit, and you’ll come to realise; hey, these centres are designed to be the right size for your children!
I mean just think about it: it’s not so big that it’ll scare your child away, and it’s not so small that your child will be experiencing his/her first sardine ride.
Rather, it’s big enough to be interesting, and spur the imaginations of your children. And that, my dear fathers and mothers, pretty much sums up what early childhood education should be all about.
But of course, there will always be larger centres out there, and it will be rude to presume otherwise. Yet if you think about it, there are actually a lot of perks to having a smaller-scale pre-school.
For example, larger centres tend to have a higher number of teachers, and that renders the possibility of a parent encountering the same teacher when picking up his/her child next to zero. On the other hand, small centres would have a higher tendency to offer ‘form teachers’ of sorts, who will be on hand to update you on your child’s well-being day after day.
Also, in larger centres, not all teachers may know who your child is, given the large intake and number of children they will have to handle. Neighbourhood pre-schools, being relatively way more close-knit, would allow the convenience of familiar recognition. Even teachers from other classes could probably recognise you and your child, given the aforementioned close-knit community!
Learning Experiences Aren’t Dependent on the Size
You might find yourself thinking: “If the preschool is small, will my child learn as much? Or will they learn more in a bigger preschool?”
And that’s actually a pretty good question, seeing how it obeys the logic-defying physics of the mantra, the bigger the better.
But what do you know; that’s not quite the case for this one. Despite the relatively small size, your children, contrary to your worst fears, WILL NOT be losing out in terms of education.
See, despite being smaller in size, preschools are equipped to give your child the same learning experience and education curriculum.
So effectively, they will not be losing out when it comes to learning lifelong skills they’ll need to have in the future.
In fact, preschools under HDB blocks have plenty of spaces for children to explore and have fun with. The creative teachers can even think of something for the children to do at the additional void deck space like telematches, bigger scale arts & more enriching activities!
But whether they draw the moon and stars or just a crude copy of weirdly-shaped bananas and apples doesn’t matter. What does matter is that children are free to roam, explore, be curious, and well… just be children. Which is a really important aspect, considering how your childhood spans a mere 25% of your lifetime.
Open-Concept learning centres
Now, a child’s curiosity about the outside world is something precious that should be nurtured. And preschools under your HDB blocks are designed to help preserve and enhance that curiosity.
Open concept in nature, these centres are large and airy which let the children look out into the world. When it rains, the children can smell the rain and the centres organise walks for their children to interact with the outside world.
Now make no mistake; books are important. But there’s just something about the natural environment that helps you grow (both physically and mentally), and I’m pretty sure that’s something stale, yellow parches of paper are unable to do.
Sheer convenience
Now, there might be a little something you’re not sure/ don’t know by now: these pre-schools are actually all located under your block, or just a few blocks away.
So what does that mean?
Well, suffice it to say that you might have 99 problems, but convenience ain’t one. Just leave your house, walk a couple of minutes and the next moment you’re right in front of the pre-school’s doorstep. Convenient? Convenient.
Looking for a pre-school in your neighbourhood?
If you still find yourself daunted at the prospect of enrolling your child in the neighbourhood pre-school, don’t be.
Pre-schools at your estates or under your blocks are just as, if not more, efficient at managing your child’s early childhood education, and you really don’t have anything to worry about by sending him/her there.
Incidentally, you could consider NTUC First Campus’ My First Skool if you’re interested.
With more than 130 preschools across Singapore (meaning to say that there could easily be one or two located in your neighbourhood. Talk about convenience), NTUC First Campus’ My First Skool is the optimal choice to go to when you’re clueless about pre-school and what it even represents.
Plus, it gets all the basics drafted up for you so you don’t have to go looking for a Dummy’s Guide To Pre-School.
So sign up at www.myfirstskool.com today, and experience the joy of learning!
This article was first published on Goody Feed and is written in collaboration with My First Skool.
