Although children aged three to six in Singapore who spend more than 40 hours a week in childcare experience negative impacts on their academic performance, they showed better behaviour, with fewer issues like aggression, according to a 2024 study by A*Star’s Institute for Human Development and Potential (IHDP).

The study suggests that early childhood education programmes should focus more on social-emotional development and recommend providing additional snacks and outdoor activities for children in long care hours. It also encourages flexible work arrangements for parents to reduce the time children spend in childcare, as many dual-income families rely on full-day programmes.

At NTUC First Campus’s over 180 preschool centres under its My First Skool and Little Skool-House networks, social-emotional learning is embedded into daily learning activities and its teachers are guided by specialised toolkits developed in-house, said its Chief Child Development Officer Ms Coreen Soh.

The centres, which take care of about 29,000 children islandwide, also feature thoughtful designs to support social emotional development, such as with quiet zones where children can self-regulate when they feel overwhelmed, as well as dramatic play areas to express and explore their emotions.

Mindfulness activities, such as storytelling and relaxation techniques, as well as empathetic teachers, help children to reduce stress.

Media coverage:

Straits Times coverage of NTUC First Campus (ST online – 11 January 2025)

Straits Times coverage of NTUC First Campus (ST print – 12 January 2025)