Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 9:52 AM, Patricia ANG wrote:
Dear Mr Lee
Please refer to your email dated 7 September 2009 sent to DrVivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development Youth and Sports(MCYS), highlighting your article titled "Why leave us out" in TODAY on 3Sep 09.
2 The Ministry recognises the important role of early childhood educators in nurturing and moulding the future of our young children and has sought to provide that recognition through various avenues. Together with the Association for Early Childhood Educators, Singapore (AECES) the Ministry had organised the annual Child Care Seminars for the child care industry. In the past few years, the seminar event was the platform for thegiving out of the Early Childhood Teachers Award. Child care centres operators/ supervisors were invited to nominate their exemplary teachers for the award.
These efforts dovetail with our on-going collaboration with public and private agencies to create platforms and channels to profile theearly childhood profession. This year the Ministry collaborated with the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), the Ministry of Education(MOE) and key child care organisations and agencies to promote and enhance the professional image of early childhood educators, and position the early childhood sector as an industry of choice.
3 Since 2008, together with the MOE, who oversees the kindergarten sector, MCYS had put in place supporting measures and schemes to award grants, bursaries and scholarships to enable early childhood educators to upgrade their professional qualifications in early childhood care and education. These measures would invariably translate to enhanced professionalism, prospects and recognition for our early childhood educators.
4 We will continue to press on with efforts to give early childhood educators the recognition they deserved. The AECES has indicated that from next year it will be recognising all early childhood educatorswith a special dedication on Teachers' Day.
5 Once again, we would like to thank you for your feedback.
Yours sincerely
Lee Kim Hua
Director
Family Services Division for Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports
Patricia Ang (Ms) / Senior Family Services Officer / (Embedded image Family Services Division (FSD), Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports
George Lee to Patricia ANG
date Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 4:00 PM
subject Re: "Today" newspaper on the 'missing' Early Childhood Educators
Sep 14 (2 days ago)
Dear Mr Lee and Ms Ang,
Whilst I can see the efforts made by MCYS to bring forth a positive image for early childhood educators, as described in your reply, I don't think the public at large can see that same positive image on a day as significant as "Teachers' Day", precisely because the TV and print advertisements were totally quiet on ECE.
That was the point I was making. And I don't think it takes that much more effort for MCYS and/or MOE to include us, to be frank.
While AECES should be lauded for taking a step in the right direction next year (and given their vested interest, they should have done so, regardless), I would hope that the government itself, via MCYS, would pay a similar public recognition to us, which would mean a lot more not just to us but to the community at large (read: parents).
But I thank you for your reply, on behalf of Dr Balakrishnan, all the same.
warm regards,
George Lee
No comments:
Post a Comment