Workers’ Party MP Gerald Giam is facing criticism online after suggesting that some preschools in Singapore could extend their operating hours beyond 7.30pm.
In Parliament on Feb 26, Gerald Giam asked the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) whether one preschool in each HDB estate could stay open until 7.30pm to help working parents.
He said parents working in the Central Business District (CBD) may find it difficult to pick up their children by 7pm, especially if they do not have domestic help or flexible work arrangements. According to him, strict pick-up times could disproportionately affect lower-income and middle-income families.
To prevent teacher burnout, he suggested that the extended hours could be staffed by ancillary care assistants instead of core preschool educators.
However, the suggestion quickly sparked debate online.
Preschool teacher says she only has “two hours” with her own children
Following Gerald Giam’s suggestion, preschool teacher and TikToker Erma Othman has responded to the proposal in a video.
She said preschool educators already spend around 10 hours a day caring for other people’s children.
On good days, she only has about two hours with her own children after work.
@ermaothman Geram eh aku #preschoolteacher #preschoolteachersg #preschoolsg #preschool #fyp ♬ original sound – Erma Othman
Erma pointed out that many preschool teachers are also parents themselves, and extending preschool hours could further reduce the little time they have with their own families.
Her video gained attention online and sparked discussion about the workload faced by early childhood educators.
Netizens also push back
Many netizens also disagreed with the idea under Gerald Giam’s Facebook post.
One commenter wrote that preschool teachers are parents too, adding that “preschools are not seven-eleven”.
Another netizen said even if schools stayed open until 7.30pm, they would not send their child home that late because it would already be past dinner time, and children would likely be overtired.
Some commenters argued that the real problem is long working hours for parents.
One netizen suggested that employers should instead allow parents to leave work earlier so they can fetch their children on time.
One netizen also questioned whether proper ground checks had been done before the proposal was made. The commenter claimed that some parents already take advantage of the current 7pm closing time, and said parents should take responsibility for arranging their schedules to fetch their children instead of expecting preschools to extend operating hours further.
Some even asked Gerald Giam or his wife to try working in a childcare centre for a year to understand the workload before making such suggestions.
Goh Pei Ming says flexible work arrangements are the better solution
Responding to Gerald Giam’s suggestion in Parliament, Goh Pei Ming, Minister of State for Social and Family Development, said extending preschool hours may not be the best solution.
He acknowledged that some parents do rush from work to pick up their children.
However, he said longer preschool hours would also mean preschool educators have less time with their own families.
Goh added that it is not ideal for young children to spend excessively long hours in school.
Goh also said the Government has worked closely with tripartite partners, which consist of the Government, employers and unions, to encourage employers to provide a family-friendly work environment, including launching the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests in 2024.
The guidelines set out the process for employees to formally request flexible work arrangements and for employers to consider them, with the aim of better supporting working parents in their caregiving needs.
