Singapore - Post Report Question and Answers
Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?
Early learning programs at the international schools are very expensive ($30K US/year). Church preschools and local preschools (called “child care” here) can be cheaper but the range is large - $500 to $1200 USD per month for full time M-F. PCF Sparkletots is the most local/common/subsidized preschool and is not available to diplomats. Child care centers are regulated by Singapore’s Early Childhood Development Agency. Search for centers/schools here: https://www.ecda.gov.sg/Parents/Pages/Preschool-Search-Portal.aspx We’ve been happy with the local child care/preschool. It has several branches island-wide, and each branch reflects its neighborhood population; ours has a lot of diplomat/expat kiddos. Instruction is in English with second-language class depending on the child’s at-home language (Mandarin for kids who speak English or Mandarin at home). Our kids have made great progress in terms of language and social and motor development, and we think their lives are better for being in these programs. - Mar 2022
If you plan to send your child to international preschools and some local preschools, prepare to pay college tuition Preschools here are incredible expensive. I have stood at many principals' desks with my mouth open at the costs. I vow to never pay college tuition for my child to have "play group" class. However, we were able to find a great school at a great cost by sending our daughter to a Baptist school up the street. The churches here subsidize most of the school fees which allow parents to pay less than 500 a month. We have been soo happy with their program and the love and attention she has gotten from teachers. There are many schools like this such a Kay Poh Road Preschool and Thompson Road Preschool. - Aug 2015
Lots of preschools everywhere. The cheapest full-time program I've found is about SGD700/month. Typically they run about SGD1000/mo. - Apr 2012
Many but we never used one - Nov 2011
I only know about preschools and there are tons; and I am very happy with the one my son attends. Pre-school is expensive. - Mar 2010
