Ways Done in the Past - Learning With Fun

Decades ago in Singapore, young children of 5 or 6 years old had the opportunities to attend kindergartens to be prepared for formal education in Primary One.

When I was at that age in 1952 or 1953, I did not have the chance to attend kindergarten.  The school fees of the few private kindergartens were too expensive and only the wealthy parents can afford to pay for the young children's education in kindergarten which was optional.

I started Primary One formal schooling in 1955 and many more years to play around in the kampong.

Grandpa in pyjamas pants bring his grand-daughter to kindergarten class in 1970.

In Singapore, there are three stages a child needs to go through in kindergarten.  By the age of three, they are sent to Nursery followed by Kindergarten 1 (K1) and Kindergarten 2 (K2) respectively.  This is to equip them with the basic and proper foundation for formal education at primary school when they reach 6 years old.

Both my daughter and son had the opportunity to attend kindergarten under the prevailing education system in Singapore.  The school fees was affordable and subsidies was given by the government to help working parents.

The mother taught her son what to do on the first day in kindergarten.

Grandma feeding her grand-daughter during recess time on the first day in school.

Ways Done in the Past in Kindergarten

The younger children were sent to the creche  and have time to rest and sleep when they are tired.

Years later as more kindergartens were built in the housing estates at convenient nearby homes, the working parents with young children are happy to have peace of mind and to concentrate in their job.

The working parents could not spend all the time with the children because they need to work to earn a living.

The lucky parents may have grandparents, relatives or maids to watch over the children while they are still young.

What happens to the children when they are in the kindergarten?

Lets take a look at the archived photos with the courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore and the Peoples Association to share on this related blog.

This is a typical kindergarten with trained teachers as approved by the Ministry of Education in Singapore.

Learning with Fun in the Kindergarten

Education is the best gift that a child to get.  Learning with fun in kindergartens would develop the children to enjoy attending schools as they grew older from nursery to kindergarten, to primary school, to secondary school and college.  There is time to play, time to learn and study, time to develop and make friends of the various races in Singapore.

Adult education is self-motivated, but the foundation of the children to learn would benefit everyone.

The kindergarten teachers with love for children and the passion to teach is a great asset to mould the children's moral characters and to train the children with the fun to acquire knowledge and useful skills as they grow up in every stage.

A class group photo of my 8-year-old daughter in (3rd left from last row standing) and her favorite Primary 1 teacher Mrs Sim (1st left from last row standing).  A fond schooldays memories for keepsake.