The needs of quality early childhood educator have been raised locally and internationally in recent years. In Singapore, there are around 16,000 pre-school educators in 2017, and another 4,000 are needed by 2020 (Source: The Straits Times).
Two universities in Singapore offers quality early childhood education degrees which can well prepare the early childhood educator for their future career:
Singapore University of Social Sciences is the sixth autonomous and youngest university in Singapore. The university has a strong focus on the areas of applied learning, lifelong learning, and the social sciences that dedicated to working professionals and adult learners. The degree programmes are available in a full-time and part-time basis to cater to all its students.
SUSS is the only public university in Singapore to offer a full-time degree in early childhood education. Below are the programme details.
| Programmes | Singapore Citizens Tuition Fees (Subsidised) | Singapore Permanent Residents Tuition Fee (Subsidised) | International Student Tuition Fee (Subsidised) | International Student Tuition Fees (Unsubsidised) | Intakes | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Early Childhood Education with Minor | $31,440 | $62,880 | $75,200 | $125,760 | Jul | 4 years full time |
| All fees listed are FULL programme tuition fees in Singapore Dollars inclusive of local tax (GST) and apply for the 2019/2020 academic year | ||||||
James Cook University Singapore is the 1st and only private education provider who gain the university status in Singapore. The university offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in varies fields.
JCU Singapore’s Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) is fully accredited with ACECQA, the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority. This course also accredited through the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) in association with the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT). Students who graduate from this course are eligible to apply for Teacher registration in Australia.
| Programmes | Domestic Tuition Fees | International Tuition Fees | Intakes | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) | $60,776 | $62,916 | Mar, Jul, Nov | 3 years full time |
| All fees listed are FULL programme tuition fees in Singapore Dollars inclusive of local tax (GST) and apply for the 2019/2020 academic year | ||||
Besides the above two universities, several private institutions are offering Singapore government Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) accredited early childhood certificate and diploma programmes*. Singapore pre-schools highly recognize these programmes.
*These institutions are also offering early childhood education for people who already work in the field, we will exclude those continuing education and training programmes in this blog.
Asia International College offers programmes that strongly focus on early childhood education. They provide a range of Singapore Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) accredited certificates and diploma programmes which prepare early childhood educators for vibrant start to their careers.
AIC has partnerships with local early childhood education providers to let students have the opportunities to gain practical experience. Here is the list of related programme details:
| Name of Programme | Tuition Fee (International student) | Intakes | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| WSQ Professional Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education | $21,421 | Feb, May, Aug, Oct | 18 months full-time |
| WSQ Advanced Certificate in Early Years | $5,899 | Feb, May. Aug, Oct | 8 months full-time |
| WSQ Higher Certificate Infant Care | $4,879 | Feb, May, Aug, Oct | 4 months full-time |
| Fundamentals Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education | $1,719 | Feb, May, Aug, Oct | 2 months full-time |
| All fees listed are FULL programme tuition fees in Singapore Dollars inclusive of local tax (GST) and apply for the 2019/2020 academic year | |||
KLC International Institution is a member of the Crestar Education Group (CEG) which has more than 120 early year education centres in Asia. The institution is one of the Singapore leading institutions for the training of pre-school and childcare teachers, it offering programmes from certificate to diploma level.
KLCII has been appointed by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) as a programme partner for the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) sector. Many of the KLCII’s early childhood programmes are also accredited by Singapore Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA). Here is the list of related programme details:
| Name of Programme | Tuition Fee (International student) | Intakes | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| WSQ Professional Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education* | $17,098.60 | Mar, May, Oct, Dec | 20 months full-time |
| International Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education | $15,386.60 | Mar, May, Oct, Dec | 20 months full-time |
| Fundamentals Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education | $1,719 | Feb, May, Aug, Oct | 2 months full-time |
| All fees listed are FULL programme tuition fees in Singapore Dollars inclusive of local tax (GST) and apply for the 2019/2020 academic year | |||
*Student are eligible to apply for teacher registration in Singapore upon graduation.
National Institute of Early Childhood Development (NIEC), is a national training institute set up by the Ministry of Education to deliver training to Singapore’s early childhood educators and deepen their professional development. Here is the list of related programmes and details:
| Name of Programme | Tuition Fee (International student) | Intakes | Duration | NIEC Campus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diploma in Early Childhood Development & Education | $31,200 | Jan | 3 years full-time | Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic |
| Higher Nitec in Early Childhood Education | $40,720 | Jan | 2 year full-time | Institute of Technical Education (ITE) |
| Advanced Certificate in Early Years | $8,988 | Oct, Jun | 8 months full-time | SEED Institute |
| Advanced Certificate in Early Childhood Care & Education | $8,731.20 | Oct | 13 months full-time | SEED Institute |
| All fees listed are FULL programme tuition fees in Singapore Dollars inclusive of local tax (GST) and apply for the 2019/2020 academic year | ||||