Singapore to replace four-hour kindergarten model with full-day programme by 2030

All 56 MOE kindergartens will phase in programmes running from 7am to 7pm, combining lessons, play and care under one model.

Singapore’s Ministry of Education will phase in a new full-day kindergarten model from 2028 to 2030, in a shift aimed at blending lessons, play and care into one more continuous preschool experience.

The move will apply to all 56 ministry-run kindergartens, which currently offer four-hour K1 and K2 programmes for five- and six-year-olds. At present, families that need care beyond those hours can use Kindergarten Care, or KCare, which is delivered by an external provider appointed by the ministry. Around 65% of the roughly 8,000 children enrolled in MOE kindergartens also attend KCare, according to the ministry.

MOE said the new arrangement is intended to give children greater continuity in learning and more time with the same staff, helping build stronger relationships and offering more chances to enrich their early education. The ministry also said children from disadvantaged backgrounds could benefit from a more seamless and supportive setting. Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education Syed Harun Alhabsyi said the sector’s needs have changed and that the government is responding by further integrating learning, play and care into a full-day programme.

Before the wider rollout, two kindergartens – MK@Rivervale and MK@West View – will pilot the model next year. The ministry said lessons from that trial will shape how the programme is introduced more broadly, with the specific kindergartens taking part in the following year to be announced during the annual registration exercise in March.

Under the new structure, children will have access to a broader range of activities, including child-directed play in their mother tongue language and open-ended outdoor play with materials such as hoops, planks and tyres. MOE said this approach is designed to build physical confidence and resilience while helping children learn to assess risk in a safe environment. During school holidays, the programme will also include hands-on sessions in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as drama and visual arts.

The ministry said the curriculum, developed by its own specialists, will continue to focus on confidence, social skills, literacy and numeracy, while preparing children for Primary 1. Kindergartens will run from 7am to 7pm on weekdays, including school holidays, although parents who prefer a half-day option will still be able to send children from 7am to 12.30pm. The centres will remain closed on public holidays, selected MOE school holidays such as Teachers’ Day and Children’s Day, and designated closure days.