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Preschools, Early Intervention Centres To Reopen Gradually from Jun 2; K1 & K2 Kids To Return First

19 May, 2020
Preschools, Early Intervention Centres To Reopen Gradually from Jun 2; K1 & K2 Kids To Return First

Children in Kindergarten 1 and 2 will be allowed to return from 2 June, while those in Nursery 1 and 2 will return to the centres from 8 June.

Preschools and Early Intervention (EI) centres will start to reopen from 2 June, and will reopen in phases, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) said Tuesday (19 May).

The announcement comes after the multi-ministry taskforce said the COVID-19 circuit breaker period here will end on 1 June.

Preschools To Reopen In Phases, Along With Early Intervention Centres

Children in Kindergarten 1 and 2 will be allowed to return from 2 June, while those in Nursery 1 and 2 will return to the centres from 8 June.

Meanwhile, children in infant care and playgroup will be able to return from 10 June.

EI centres providing the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) and centres on the Pilot for Private Intervention Providers (PPIP) scheme will also reopen from 2 June 2020 in phases, starting with in-person intervention for children with higher needs, or who are only attending EI centres.

“All other children on programmes at EI centres, who also attend preschool, will continue to be supported with interventions remotely to reduce transmission risk across preschools and EI centres,” ECDA said. 

“We will work with providers to safely and gradually resume intervention services for these children, with priority for K2 children. Details on the resumption of services for these children will be announced at a later date,” the agency added.

preschool teachers are unsung heroes

Image source: File

Preschools To Reopen: ‘COVID-Safe ABC Measure’ In Place

“The phased reopening will better enable preschools to ensure that staff, children and parents adhere to the enhanced safe management measures which we refer to as “COVID-Safe ABCs,” ECDA said. COVID-Safe ABCs refer to safety measures for daily routines in terms of Access, Behaviours and Classrooms.

ECDA said supplementary programmes such as enrichment and early intervention services—where providers may move across different centres—will remain suspended. “We are closely monitoring the situation and will advise when it is safe to resume these activities,” the agency added.

All preschool and early intervention staff are undergoing a swab test for COVID-19, through an exercise that is scheduled to be completed by the end of May. 

Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee said that some 6,000 staff have been swabbed over the weekend, and an additional 2,500 staff were swabbed the following days, bring the total of staff swabbed to 8,500. Mr Lee said none of those who have gone through the exercise tested positive for the virus as yet.

“But given that we are going to swab some 30,000 staff, we do expect that there might be some positive cases,” Mr Lee added.

Enhanced Safe Management Measures

Meanwhile, ECDA said he first two weeks of the reopening of preschools and early intervention centres will be used for “strengthening public health awareness and building a culture of COVID-Safe habits among staff, children and their parents.”

Centres will have to adhere to safe management measures such as restriction of entry of visitors, as well as staff and children with a higher risk of infection, such as those with household members on home quarantine order or stay-home notices. 

Preschools, Early Intervention Centres To Reopen Gradually from Jun 2; K1 & K2 Kids To Return First

Image source: File photo

Other measures include compulsory mask- or shield-wearing for all staff and children aged two years and older, sizing down of group activities among children, as well as staggering drop-off and pick-up timings of children.

ECDA said it is working closely with industry associations such as the Association of Early Childhood & Training Services (ASSETS), which will facilitate bulk purchases for some of these tools and equipment such as disinfectant, cleaning equipment, masks and face shields.

ECDA will also require the use of SafeEntry and travel declarations for staff, children and visitors.

After services fully resume, ECDA said it will consider a “risk-based testing system,” where those returning from Stay-Home notices, for example, will have to undergo testing before returning to the centre.

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Lead image source: MSF Minister Desmond Lee/Facebook

ALSO READ: Schools To Reopen On June 2 As Singapore Exits Circuit Breaker Period: MOE

preschools to reopen

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Written by

Nikki De Guzman

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Nikki De Guzman

<div class="oajrlxb2 tutozmqo qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jwdofwj8 rz4wbd8a r8blr3vg a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl oo9gr5id gpro0wi8 jk6sbkaj kdgqqoy6 ihh4hy1g qttc61fc" tabindex="0" role="button">Nikki is a journalist, editor, social media expert and a digital content strategist. Previously, she covered property and economy, current events, parenting, travel, entertainment and lifestyle, specialising in news and in-depth features.</div> <div class="oajrlxb2 tutozmqo qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jwdofwj8 rz4wbd8a r8blr3vg a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl oo9gr5id gpro0wi8 jk6sbkaj kdgqqoy6 ihh4hy1g qttc61fc" tabindex="0" role="button">She was previously the Project Director of food and home website nonilo.com, and the Head of Content of theAsianparent.</div>
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