--- title: "‘Very disappointed’: MOE Kindergarten teachers fear new full-day model will kill work-life balance" url: "/the-big-picture/very-disappointed-moe-kindergarten-teachers-fear-new-full-day-model-will-kill-work-life-balance" published: "2026-11-04T01:53:11.000Z" updated: "2026-11-04T01:54:58.000Z" section: "The Big Picture" authors: ["Trixy Toh"] tags: ["TNP News","MOE Kindergarten","MOE","early childhood Singapore","work life balance","pre-schools Singapore","teachers"] --- # ‘Very disappointed’: MOE Kindergarten teachers fear new full-day model will kill work-life balance *With the new full-day programme recently announced, some teachers at Ministry of Education Kindergartens (MKs) fear it could undo the work-life balance that drew them to the role.* With the new full-day programme recently announced, some teachers at Ministry of Education Kindergartens (MKs) fear it could undo the work-life balance that drew them to the role. Mandy, who has been an MK educator for four years, told Stomp that she and her colleagues were “very disappointed” when they heard the news of MKs offering a full-day model from 2028, compared to the current four-hour core programme. By 2030, all MKs will run full-day care from 7am to 7pm, merging education, play and care into a single programme run by MK educators. Currently, parents of students in MK who require full-day care can register their children for Kindergarten Care (KCare), which is offered before and after the MK programme and provided by external operators. Since the announcement, many teachers have voiced their concerns about how the new model could affect their welfare and influence their decision on whether to stay in their roles. ![MOE Kindergarten MK teachers full-day work-life balance](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/c09eb9de6fbf447e4867da824c4493c689ee8627cd34fa079acb53980e36307f) *Since the announcement, many teachers have taken to social media to voice their concerns.* ## Teachers conflicted over impact on work-life balance and flexibility When the news first broke, Mandy and her colleagues were deeply affected. Many of them had made the switch from other childcare centres to MK for better work-life balance and flexibility, and were “devastated” when they heard about the move. Some even took a pay cut in their monthly salaries. While Mandy appreciated the outpouring of online support for affected teachers, she felt that “nothing is going to change”. Although the 32-year-old educator has mixed feelings about the new programme, she is leaning towards giving it a try before deciding whether to leave. “What if it’s really not that bad?” she pondered. Speaking to Stomp, another MK teacher, who wished to be known only as Kim, echoed similar sentiments and described the move as a “huge change” that teachers would have to adapt to. The 29-year-old, who has been an MK educator for three years, said she understands the concerns of parents whose children attend both MK and KCare. Communicating with different teachers and operators from the separate programmes could make it difficult for parents to gain a clear understanding of their child’s overall development, she said. According to MOE, the new integrated programme would allow children to learn and interact with staff more consistently, helping them build stronger relationships. While MK teachers still get protected non-contact hours and MOE school holidays, Kim worried the new model would leave little time for administrative duties. “It should never depend on goodwill labour,” Kim said. She added that even under MK’s current four-hour sessions, she struggles to complete her work within the stipulated working hours. Unless there is a “serious revision” of workloads or duties are taken off their plates, she said many MK educators fear they will inevitably burn out. ## ‘Childcare is physically exhausting’ Additionally, Kim is also concerned for her colleagues who have no prior childcare experience, citing the need to adapt to the new model and cope with the changes. “For myself, I’m lucky to have had experience in childcare so I know how general operations work,” said Kim. Despite the changes, she would not consider leaving MK, pointing to its relatively manageable workload, civil service benefits and bonuses. That said, she still believes something can be done about unrealistic demands across the early childhood sector. “It just shouldn’t have to come to a point of choosing between bad and worse,” she said. May, a teacher at a private childcare centre, questioned whether the new full-day MK programme will be any different from what teachers in private centres have endured for years. As a full-day childcare educator in a private centre, the 30-year-old provides constant, hands-on supervision to children all day, including between lessons, during toilet visits and mealtimes. She added that a lack of manpower leaves her with less non-contact time, often requiring her to use her personal time to complete work. “Childcare is physically exhausting,” she said. ![MOE Kindergarten MK teachers full-day work-life balance](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/7f6e5e840a21c45c15412f7ee5cc40640c7702beace9d56656934f82666f54ee) *“Childcare is physically exhausting,” said May.* ## New full-day model ‘makes more sense’: Parent Aisha, a mother whose six-year-old daughter has been attending both MK and KCare for the past two years, said she welcomed the change. As her daughter will be starting primary school next year, the 39-year-old administrative officer said the integration would not affect her family much, but wished the change had come earlier. Aisha said she had always felt that having MK and KCare as two separate parts of the day feels “disconnected” and could be “quite taxing” for young children, who have to adjust to different sets of educators daily. “I think having MK and KCare integrated makes more sense and also makes things more seamless for parents. Having the same educators, or at least a more integrated team, would benefit the child,” she said. For Aisha, the most important thing as a mother is that her daughter has a predictable daily routine, with a single programme and familiar teachers all under one roof. She also hopes that MK teachers would not be overloaded despite their additional responsibilities and that children will continue to receive proper care and attention. “I hope the transition is handled gradually and clearly, with enough support for both the children and educators.”