Public Management and Reforming of Singapore's Preschool Education

Abstract

The study investigates the preschool sector of education in Singapore and the system of its management. New socio-economic conditions require a new theoretical and methodological basis of the educational process. Studying the experience of the functioning of other educational systems provides an opportunity to implement effective ways of reforming in the domestic educational system. This fact proves the relevance of the study. The purpose of the study is to investigate the experience of public administration and modernisation of the modern system of preschool education in Singapore. The research was conducted on the basis of systematic, personality-oriented, axiological and synergetic methodological approaches to the study of pedagogical phenomena and with the use of such theoretical research methods as the method of analysis, synthesis, comparison and systematisation. The author identifies areas of public impact on the mostly private preschool sector in Singapore and areas of its reforming. It has been established that the main areas of updating Singapore's preschool education includes the development of a conceptual framework for the preschool education sector, improvement of the quality of staff professional training, reorganisation of the management system of preschool education and implementation of the principle of meritocracy, which provides equal access to quality preschool education for all Singaporeans. The study analyses the main aspects and specific features of introducing the conceptual framework “Nurturing the early learners”. The conceptual framework is a recommendation and guide for developing educational programmes in preschool institutions of the country and gives teachers some freedom to apply an individual and creative approach in the process of developing educational programmes for their preschool institutions. The author also identifies the main measures undertaken to improve the professional level of preschool teachers and the level of preschool education in general. It is concluded that due to the successful cooperation of the government and private preschool education providers and a clear delineation of their responsibilities, the government of Singapore succeeded in implementing an effective system of management of the preschool education sector