2024年9月9日，新加坡教育部長陳振聲在國會答覆三巴旺集選區議員佳馥梅有關將幼兒園教育納入義務教育體系的問題。
以下內容為新加坡眼根據國會英文資料翻譯整理：
24 佳馥梅（三巴旺集選區議員）女士詢問教育部長：
(a) 政府是否會考慮將幼兒園教育變為義務教育？
(b) 如果會，將其納入正規教育體系將考慮哪些因素？
陳振聲（教育部長）先生：為了讓我們的孩子有一個良好的起步，政府在過去十年中對學前教育進行了大量投資。學前教育入學率也有所提高，目前，95% 的5至6歲新加坡兒童都在學前教育就讀，現有學位能夠滿足每個孩子的需求。
政府並沒有選擇強制推行幼兒園義務教育，而是通過確保提供負擔得起的優質學前教育，如政府支持的學前教育機構，來消除學前教育入學障礙。如今，超過65%的學齡前兒童就讀於政府支持的學前教育機構，而2019年這一比例僅略高於一半。我們將繼續增加學前教育名額，到2025年左右，80% 的學齡前兒童能夠進入政府支持的幼兒園。
我們還向低收入家庭提供有針對性的援助，以解決他們在為孩子入讀幼兒園和確保他們定期上學方面面臨的實際挑戰。低收入家庭的兒童在入讀教育部幼兒園 (MK) 和主要業者幼兒園 (AOP) 時享有優先權。在獲得政府補貼後，低收入家庭每月僅需支付1新元，即可在教育部幼兒園和主要業者幼兒園入讀半日制幼兒園。
由於幼兒園教育價格實惠，所有新加坡人都可以接受，因此我們目前沒有計劃將其納入義務教育。
以下是英文質詢內容：
Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Government will consider making kindergarten education compulsory; and (b) if so, what will be the factors taken into consideration for it to be integrated into the formal education system.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: To enable our children to have a good start, the Government has invested significantly in preschool education over the last decade. Preschool enrolment has also grown and 95% of Singaporean children aged five to six years are now enrolled in preschool. There are sufficient places for every child.
Rather than impose compulsory kindergarten education, the Government’s approach has been to remove impediments to preschool enrolment by ensuring access to affordable and quality preschools, such as in Government-supported preschools. Today, over 65% of preschoolers are in Government-supported preschools, up from just over half in 2019. We will continue to increase spaces so that 80% of preschoolers can have a place in a Government-supported preschool by around 2025.
We also provide targeted assistance to lower-income families to address practical challenges in enrolling their children in preschool and ensuring their regular attendance. Children from lower-income families are accorded priority when enrolling in MOE Kindergartens (MKs) and Anchor Operator (AOP) preschools. After Government subsidies, low-income families may pay as low as $1 per month for half-day kindergarten in MKs and AOP preschools.
As kindergarten education is affordable and accessible to all Singaporeans, we have no plans to make it compulsory at the moment.
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