More details on pre—school statutory board to be released on Thursday

SINGAPORE: Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing said more details about the new statutory board that will oversee pre—school education will be released on Thursday.

"Both MCYS (Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports) and (the) Ministry of Education will release the information on the areas of work that we will be focusing on, and the likely timeline for the completion of this work," Mr Chan said.

The acting minister revealed this on Tuesday in response to questions about Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally speech.

In his rally speech on Sunday, Mr Lee said that the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) have been tasked to look into the matter.

With regard to parenthood, Mr Chan said the Prime Minister has laid out the broad areas that will be studied and the respective ministries will be making their announcements in due course.

"This will be a cross ministry effort. There are various considerations from the parents considerations, to the employers’ considerations, to the children’s considerations," Mr Chan said.

"We will put all these together and make an announcement in due course."

Mr Chan also said it was time for everyone to take a step back and reflect on the issues brought up at this year’s National Day Rally.

He said the Prime Minister’s speech touched on both the hard and soft challenges Singapore faces.

"PM has shared with us some of his concerns about our future, both in terms of our economic development, our social cohesion and most importantly the character of our nation," Mr Chan said.

"I think that’s something really worth discussing with all fellow Singaporeans because circumstances don’t define us, our responses to the circumstances will define us.

"It’s important for us to take a pause and reflect on the way we are going forward."

On Mr Lee’s call to engage Singaporeans in a national conversation about the country’s future, Mr Chan said everyone has a stake.

"We hope everybody will come forth and participate because everybody who is interested in Singapore has a stake in the future of Singapore," he said.

"We hope that this will be a conversation where people will come forth and be frank with their views, their fears and their aspirations, so that we can together build a common future for all."

— CNA/wm