Our logo symbolises the · 2018. 8. 27. · delays, to rush their children from kindergarten classes to music lessons. ... Music School started a new business to offer preschool classes

Our logo symbolises the ever-growing need for knowledge and

the total development of a child.

The Kinderland green signifies youth and vitality.

The tree symbolises the growing need for knowledge.

The child with the book exemplifies the challenge of the intellect.

The child with the recorder expresses creativity.

OurVision and Mission

To provide Excellence in Care, Education and Quality Services for

our children and parents

OurPhilosophy

We believe every child hasthe potential to be the best that

he or she can be

By preserving the excitement and wonders of childhood, children will experience the joy of learning and

becoming lifelong learner

Contents

1 Foreword

4 First Steps

10 Pushing the Boundaries of Learning

18 Traversing Asia - Kinderland Malaysia - Kinderland Indonesia - Kinderland Bangladesh - Kinderland China - Kinderland Cambodia - Kinderland Vietnam

26 Growing the Kinderland Family

30 Philantrophy

34 Embracing the Digital Future

37 Milestones

Foreword

In the 1970s, I was Director of Yamaha Music School. Being part of a global name, the school was extremely popular; long queues waiting to enrol were a common sight and parents had to suffer traffic jams and delays, to rush their children from kindergarten classes to music lessons. The one question parents often asked was, “Why doesn’t Yamaha start a kindergarten, so we wouldn’t have to ferry our children all over the place?”

In 1978, we took our first step by starting Yamaha Kindergarten in Marine Parade. We believed then, that music enhances language literacy in young children and provides crucial support for brain development in their early years. This belief continues to be the foundation of our Kinderland curriculum today.

The journey of our children would not be complete without our dedicated team of early childhood education professionals, teaching staff, professional curriculum team and trainers. Their passion, innovative spirit and abilities have a direct impact on the quality of development during the early years. Recognising that, we started our own in-house training, sharing knowledge and best practices from East and West. Today, this in-house training department has evolved into the KLC International Institute, which continues to train and develop both English and Chinese early childhood teachers for the industry.

Over the last forty years, thousands of children have passed through our doors and taken their place in the world as productive citizens. We have had many “firsts” attributed to us, but the children in our care will always be our number one priority.

Ms Kwan Peck LengFounder/ Executive Director

F O R E W O R D

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".

Lao TzuChinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)The Way of the Tao

The recent years have seen a wave of changes across the world with the proliferation of smart technologies. Caught in the web of this new transformation, how is Kinderland preparing for the next ten years?

The answer lies in our mission, vision and values we established. To continue to be a regional leader, provide excellence in care, education and quality services, we need to adapt quickly to change whilst anchored by our core values.

Towards that, we are already harnessing new technologies for application in our systems, operations, teachers’ training and classroom delivery which will make the concept of “One School, Many Centres” a reality for us. Online learning, as well as virtual classrooms that bring our teachers from all over the world to learn and share their experiences, are already being implemented in some of our centres in Singapore and China, and we plan to have all our centres connected in the near future.

The apt usage of SMART technology bolstered by research and development of our curriculum will further uplift the quality of our teachers and curriculum. We will be able to track and support the holistic development of each and every child by tailoring the curriculum to suit their respective learning styles and growth better, preparing them with 21st century life skills.

These are some of the initiatives we have already put in place to take Kinderland forward for the next 10 years and beyond.

Mr Robert LeongChief Executive Officer/ Executive Director

“If we do not change the way we teach, 30 years from now, we’re going to be in trouble”.

Jack MaFounder of Alibaba Group, China’s e-commerce giant

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1978 was a period of optimism for Singapore. Just 13 years before, Singapore left Malaysia, and with that, Singapore lost its hinterland and its place in the Malayan Common Market. Three years later, the British Government announced that they would withdraw all their forces East of Suez by 1971 which would cost Singapore 40,000 jobs. With no industries and poor infrastructure, the only way to get the wheels of its economy moving was to attract foreign capital.

The Singapore government aggressively promoted export-oriented, labour-intensive industrialisation through a program of incentives designed to attract foreign investments. Labour laws were tightened, industrial infrastructures were set up, and government organisations like the Economic Development Board and Jurong Town Corporation were formed.

"We were developing generic industrial land because we were trying to support industries of all kinds. So long as their investors were prepared to come in to build a manufacturing plant and create jobs, we were prepared to support them,” said JTC Corporation’s CEO Png Cheong Boon.

The plan brought about double-digit economic growth for Singapore slowed only by the 1973 Oil Crisis. Even then, Singapore's growth rate averaged 8.7 per cent from 1973 to 1979.

First Steps

The first concert In 1981, then Principal/Supervisor, Mrs Cheok Gek Lian oversaw one of the first, if not the first large-scale public concert performance by 600 preschoolers. Held at the Victoria Concert Hall, the students wowed the adults with their performance. It was unlike anything the parents had seen and they never imagined that their children could perform as they did. Still, it was a stressful time as Mrs Cheok, Kinderland’s first principal recounted. "The wait for the curtain call was, by far, the most nerve-wracking moment.”

Mrs Cheok Gek LianFirst Principal/Supervisor of Kinderland(1978 – 2001)

F I R S T S T E P S

Demands of a new middle class

As the Singapore government continued to ramp up its industrialisation programme, there was an increasing need to encourage women, including young mothers, to join the workforce. In 1977, the government set up NTUC childcare centres, but with increased standards of living, the new middle class wanted more.

In 1978, to satisfy mounting requests from parents of children studying in Yamaha Music School, Ms Kwan Peck Leng, then director of the Yamaha Music School started a new business to offer preschool classes under the name of Yamaha Kindergarten in Marine Parade. It would be the first private corporate-run kindergarten in Singapore.

The vision from the beginning was an establishment of a creative, music-infused academic programme for the young, supported by teachers trained to teach this unique curriculum.

In 1987, Kinderland brought in Ms Jane Ching-Kwan, a specialist with a Master of Science in Education, Early Childhood Curriculum & Instruction from the Illinois State University, Bloomington-Normal, to design and develop the curriculum for its first American-model child care centre at Thomson Plaza. The late Barbara Lloyd, who held a Master degree in Family & Child Development from Nova Southern University, Florida, USA, was also recruited to head the infant/toddler services.

The Kinderland child care curriculum was revolutionary at that time. It integrated sensory-motor development, language and cognitive growth, creative stimulation through senses as well as social and emotional connection through the study of themes.

First American-modelchild care centre in Singapore

Parents were excited about this new and innovative curriculum. It was radically different from what other kindergartens in Singapore were offering. Enrolment quickly grew from 13 to over 500.

A second centre was opened in Hougang in 1984 to cope with overwhelming demand. In 1986, to avoid confusion with Yamaha Music School, itself a renowned global brand, the name ‘Yamaha Kindergarten’ was changed to ‘Kinderland Kindergarten’. A new business entity, Kinderland Educare Services Pte Ltd, was also formed in the same year, to manage the other aspects of preschool education such as teachers training and child care services.

In 1987, the company opened the first American-model child care centre in Singapore, in Thomson Plaza. By 1990, it was clear that Kinderland was something special. It was a place where parent knew their children would be enriched.

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3 generations and countingMdm Liu Hong Chin, a Nanyang University graduate, sent her two daughters to Kinderland in the 1980s. She herself joined Kinderland as a Chinese Language teacher in June 1997.

“The Yamaha Kindergarten in Marine Parade constantly had a long waiting list of anxious parents hoping to secure a coveted place for their children. My two daughters were schooled there and they received a healthy development. Never did I expect that many years later, I would also join the big Kinderland family, nurturing the many young shoots. Perhaps, one day, my grandchildren will also be nourished on the same soil. It is a highly fulfilling thought that Kinder-land would have such endearing connection with my family for three generations.”

Article published in The Straits Times on 15 March 1990. Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Permission required for publication.

In the late 1980s, the Ministry of Community Development (MCD) encouraged employers to set up child care facilities in workplaces and office buildings, to entice mothers to re-join the workforce. Workplace child care services provided mothers with peace of mind, thereby increasing productivity, and reducing absenteeism and job-hopping.

This expanded the arena of growth for Kinderland which was by then, a household name for high-quality child care and pre-school education.

The first Kinderland workplace child care centre was opened in Temasek Polytechnic in 1996. Currently, Kinderland offers its child care services in four key government workplaces - the Ministry of Education, Ministry of National Development, Revenue House and in the Ministry of Manpower+.

The dawn of workplace child care services

Kinderland @ Revenue House©www.commercialguru.com.sg/project/revenue-house-20050

As Singapore’s economy continued to grow in the 80s, the government realised the need for a holistic plan to encourage more women to join the workforce. Women were just 40% of the workforce in 19781.

In 1984, the government brought together stakeholders in a tripartite collaboration among the Government (Ministry of Community Development, Ministry of Labour), the workers (the NTUC) and the employers (Singapore National Federation of Employers (SNEF) to form the ‘National Task Force on Female Participation in the Labour Force’.

The Task Force would recommend and implement a host of measures such as legislation, government subsidy on childcare fees, financial incentives for couples to have more children, increasing number of child care providers and training programmes for child care teachers. The ground-breaking aspect of the Task Force’s recommendations was to have structured training for child care teachers to raise their quality and develop professional pathways.

One of the recommendations that came out of the Task Force was to increase the training of early childhood education qualified teachers to meet the nation’s demands.

Kinderland @ Ministry of National Development

Kinderland @ Ministry of Manpower

F I R S T S T E P S

Kinderland @ Ministry of Education©MediaCorp, Channel NewsAsia

1 Source: Labour in Singapore. Retrieved from http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Singapore/sub5_7c/entry-3784.html

+ Information accurate at the time of printing

Ms Kwan Peck Leng was the brainchild of the teachers training project for Kinderland. In 1985, she roped in education veteran, Dr Florence Lee to spearhead the setting up of Kinderland’s Curriculum & Training Department. 30 years on, this training arm has grown to become an independent school – now KLC International Institute - offering early years training and professional development to educarers and preschool teachers in the region. By 2018, KLC International Institute has trained over 28,000 early childhood teachers for the industry in Singapore.

The beginning of Kinderland’steachers training arm

The difficulty in finding qualified early childhood teachers prompted Kinderland to start its own in-house teachers training facility to serve its initial network of two kindergartens and a child care centre in Singapore. In 1987, it was spun off as Kinderland Learning Centre (KLC). The facility, located in Thomson Plaza, not only conducted training for early child care teachers, it boasted Singapore’s first teacher observation laboratory - a concept pioneered by Dr Florence Lee and Ms Jane Ching-Kwan, both US-trained early childhood specialists. The laboratory learning facility allowed trainee teachers to benefit from observing actual child care and education delivery in a live setting.

Training support for afledgeling economy

Kinderland Learning Centre (KLC) was renamed KLC School of Education in 2002

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Ms Kwan Peck Leng (right) with Dr Florence Lee (left)

F I R S T S T E P S

Pioneering batch for the first Basic Certificate in Early ChildhoodCare & Education programme in 1988

In 1988, KLC collaborated with Bank Street College, New York, an established teacher training institution in the USA, to conduct the first professional certificate on Management and Supervision in Early Childhood Settings. The event was a notable success, with an attendance of more than 40 principals and administrators from  private-run kindergartens and child care centres. It marked KLC’s first foray into public early childhood training.

All this while, the government’s National Institute of Education (NIE) was trying to cope with the surge in training demand for early education teachers. By 1988, the shortage was near critical.

Following the success of the Bank Street College training project, Dr Florence Lee submitted proposals to the Ministry of Community Development (MCD) for a 120-hour basic certificate programme that had already been implemented at KLC for Kinderland teachers.

First collaboration with a foreigneducation university partner

From right: Ms Lorna Poon of Kinderland, Professor Noona Weekes of Bank Street College and Dr Christine Chen, Founder and current President of the Association for Early Childhood Educators (AECES)

Dr Florence Lee was an influential pioneer in raising the standard and professionalism in the early childhood education industry in Singapore. She was the former Head of Department of Preschool Education at Singapore’s Institute of Education and holds a PhD in Education from Oregon State University, USA. She brought a wealth of experience in education and training to KLC School of Education. Between 1987 and 2004, she held two positions - as Head of Kinderland Curriculum & Training (1987 – 2004) and Academic Director of KLC School of Education (1987 – 2001).

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Ms Lim Hsiu MeiThen Deputy Secretary of Social Welfare, Ministry of Community Development at KLC’s mega graduation ceremony in 1992

In May 1988, the then Ministry of Community Development (MCD) approved the first Basic Certificate in Early Childhood Care & Education programme to be conducted by a private training institute.

By June, KLC commenced training for 100-odd students - the first batch of early childhood education teachers to be endorsed by the government.

A strong partner of the Ministry

“Kinderland has been a strong partner of the Ministry (MCYS). In the 1990s, Kinderland readily responded to the then Ministry of Community Development’s (MCD) call to increase the pool of trained and qualified teachers by providing the Pre-service Course in Early Childhood Care and Education, an amalgamation of the Fundamental and Intermediate courses.”

Mr Lee Kim HuaThen Director, Family Services DivisionMinistry of Community Development, Youth & Sports

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In the 1980s, traditional kindergarten curriculum was worksheet-driven, emphasising skills such as learning the alphabet, handwriting, simple numbers and mathematical operations. However, changes were already in the air.

Early computers made their way into workplaces. Economic prosperity brought on the scourge of obesity in our children. This was also a period of bilingualism and the “Speak Mandarin” campaigns. Society and the expectations of parents for their children were changing.

Pushing theBoundaries ofLearning

In 1987, Ms Jane Ching-Kwan, together with the late Dr John Henry Martin, a renowned American life-long educator, set up the first Writing-to-Read Laboratory in Asia in Kinderland Marine Parade.

Supported by IBM's Education Division, the Writing-to-Read Programme is a comprehensive computer-based instructional system designed to help the child learn to write even before learning to read based on the phonemic principle. The success of the Writing-to-Read programme led to Kinderland being appointed IBM’s Asia training hub for this project.

At the forefrontof literacy

In 1987, Dr Florence Lee and Ms Jane Ching-Kwan, then two of only a handful of Singaporeans trained in the U.S. in the field of early childhood education, reviewed and revamped the entire Kinderland kindergarten curriculum, incorporating child learning theories and the most current pedagogical practices.

With a carefully-designed kindergarten education master plan for its centres, Kinderland’s early childhood education programme took on a more professional structure and framework.

Concrete, age-appropriate and fun Math lessons and computer-aided learning set the trend for novel teaching in the mid-1980s, pushing Kinderland’s preschool education approach to be on par with international standards. What followed was a solid foundation for young children’s early school experience in a comprehensive package.

A new-agepreschool curriculum

Dr Jane Ching-Kwan joined Kinderland as Curriculum Co-ordinator in 1987.

In 1993, she received her doctorate in Child Development & Family Studies, specialising in children and technology from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, USA.

Between 1993 and 1997, Dr Ching-Kwan was Kinderland’s Head of Curriculum. The development and evolution of Kinderland’s proprietary curriculum, which is the heart of its success in the preschool business, was also a direct and major portion of her involvement with Kinderland since the mid-1990s. She also initiated the re-design of the Kinderland curriculum for the franchise business in 1995.

During the period 2000 to 2003 as well as 2008 to 2017, she helmed KLC School of Education as its Academic Director and Principal.

Dr Ching-Kwan is also a Director and Curriculum Founder of Skool4Kidz Preschool, an Anchor Operator appointed by ECDA (Early Childhood Development Agency).

Then Vietnam Minister for Science & Technology, Professor Dang Huu

at Kinderland’s Writing-to-Read Laboratory in 1994

P U S H I N G T H E B O U N D A R I E S O F L E A R N I N G

Kinderland was the first kindergarten in Singapore to implement computer-aided learning to enhance literacy and creative writing skills for preschoolers. Dedicated learning laboratories were set up where each child had a top-of-the-line personal computer from IBM. In this multi-media rich environment, the children learnt creative writing as well as computer literacy, well ahead of their contemporaries outside of Kinderland.

Writing-to-Read was a revolutionary programme: Children who attended the classes could compose and write short stories, and could read what they had written, at a tender age of 5.

Today, phonemic-based systems are regularly taught in kindergarten, but it was Kinderland that led the way.

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Dr MartinThe late Dr John Henry Martin, Founder of the Writing-to-Read programme, reading with a Kinderland child.

In the 1980s, children’s fitness in kindergartens consisted of little beyond jumping around or passing the ball. It was unstructured, and unmeasured. With growing affluence and low physical-activity rate, Singapore was witnessing an alarming increase in obesity in children.

Kinderland was the first preschool to introduce holistic international components to its fitness programme. In 1987, the celebrated American cardiovascular fitness programme “Feelin’ Good, developed by Dr Charles T. Kuntzleman was incorporated as an integral part of Kinderland’s physical fitness programme. For the first time parents were introduced to a well-planned, thoroughly structured wellness programme in which their preschoolers learnt a gamut of healthy skills and knowledge that promotes cardio-fitness.

Raising thebar on fitness

P U S H I N G T H E B O U N D A R I E S O F L E A R N I N G

350 Kinderland children participated in the 22nd Singapore National Day Parade in 1987

In the 1980s, children’s fitness in kindergartens consisted of little beyond jumping around or passing the ball. It was unstructured, and unmeasured. With growing affluence and low physical-activity rate, Singapore was witnessing an alarming increase in obesity in children.

As one of the few kindergartens to have a structured fitness programme, Kinderland was invited to participate in the 22nd National Day Parade in 1987, in an item called “Citizens of Tomorrow”, to promote healthy exercise for preschoolers. 350 children, all below six years old, showcased

“The Kinderland children are our source of inspiration and perspiration. In the Kinderland universe, they are our pride and joy. They are the future of the world.”

Dr Florence LeeHead of Kinderland Curriculum & Training (1987 - 2004)

Professor Zhu Shiyuan is synonymous with the development of KLC as the leading force in Chinese early childhood teacher training in Singapore.

A former director of Beijing Normal University (China’s leading teacher training institution), Professor Zhu provided the vital connection that cemented the approval from China’s Ministry of Education, for a partnership between Kinderland Learning Centre (KLC) and Beijing Normal University (BNU) in 1995. It was the first time a Chinese university was to collaborate with an overseas education institution.

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After the launch of the “Speak Mandarin” Campaign in 1979, Mandarin became a compulsory second language for Chinese students in English-medium schools from 1980. The government recognised that language-learning is most effective at a young age and tasked teachers to conduct Mandarin lessons at the preschool level. Many of these early Mandarin speaking teachers had only gone through the basic early childhood training in English.

Realising the need to formally equip Mandarin speaking teachers with age-appropriate teaching and learning of the Chinese language, Kinderland through its training arm, KLC, made a revolutionary move to start the first Chinese Intermediate Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education in 1991. The programme, a collaboration with the Taiwan Normal University, was the first of its kind in South East Asia.

It was followed by the introduction of the first Chinese Early Childhood Joint-Diploma and the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE), awarded by Beijing Normal University (BNU) in 1995 and 2004 respectively.

KLC has since become the market leader in the training of the Chinese early childhood education teachers.

New Cornerstone for ChinesePreschool Teacher Training

Dr Kuntzleman, developer of the Feelin Good programme, with his wife Beth and Ms Kwan Peck Leng in Spring Arbor, Michigan USA in 1985

Professor Zhu travelled regularly between Singapore and Malaysia to train Kinderland’s Chinese language teachers. She also helped in the development and enhancement of Kinderland’s first complete set of Chinese curriculum. 

choreographed moves from the “Feelin Good” programme. The sight of these enthusiastic preschoolers became the scintillating highlight of the parade.

The Feelin Good programme (now KinderFit) teaches children complete cardio-wellness. They learn about the heart and how to monitor their heartbeats as well healthy lifestyle and habits.

P U S H I N G T H E B O U N D A R I E S O F L E A R N I N G

Kinderland has had a history of being the forerunner in innovative programmes. In the late 2000s, this creative spirit once again surfaced with the conceptualisation of a preschool marching band – something unheard of outside Japan.

The task of creating a coordinated band comprising 50 to 100 odd kindergartners, synchronising, marching and playing with a diverse range of musical instruments was certainly daunting! Even getting hold of the musical equipment for children so young proved to be impossible as Singapore had no stock of such age-appropriate equipment.

Unlocking new areas of development:Preschool Marching Band

Ms Hiromi Kurimoto, one of Kinderland’s external advisors, came to the rescue. She arranged for the Kinderland team to visit her two preschools in Osaka in 2009 to observe Japanese children performing in their percussion marching bands. She also helped purchased and shipped to Singapore, the musical instruments for the younger children.

The possibility of Kinderland having its own marching band became an exciting possibility! Armed with their research findings and after countless counselling sessions with its Japanese counterparts, Kinderland introduced the Preschool Marching Band in 2010.

Kinderland Marching Band in Xiamen, China

In a joint-study led by Dr Carol Loy, Director of Curriculum & Professional Development, Kinderland and the National Institute of Education which was published in 2014, music was shown to “contribute to preschool-age children’s awakening to different subject matters, particularly to reading and writing.”

The study demonstrated that the reading age of the group that received music curriculum was significantly higher than groups that either did not receive a musical curriculum or have a limited exposure to music.   

The Effect of a Music Curriculumon the Reading Performance of Preschoolers in Singapore

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The Preschool Marching band was a major coup for Kinderland. It was a testament to the enormous capabilities of young children. More than a platform for Kinderland’s kindergartners to show their music learning, the band with its rigorous training, brought the unharnessed potentials of its young band members to the fore. These include heightened aural abilities, stronger mental focus, discipline, enhanced motor skills and coordination.

Kinderland’s Preschool Marching Band has made a name for itself in Singapore: It has been invited to perform at several public events including the Singapore World Water Day 2017 and PassionArts Festival 2017 .

The Marching Band has since been introduced to China, in Kinderland Xiamen in 2015 and in Kinderland Zhuhai in 2018.

Building confidence through performances in public arenas

Preschoolers aged 5 to 6 years old showing huge confidence with a public performance at the PassionArts Festival 2017

The Singapore’s World Water Day 2017 gave the band members a big platform to show their talents

By the late 1980s, the Singapore government foresaw that lower cost of labour from China and Singapore’s neighbours would make Singapore uncompetitive as a manufacturing centre. Singapore needed to evolve up the value chain, and Singapore companies would need to be competitive within as well as outside of Singapore.

Two agencies were critical to Singapore’s businesses in the 1990s. SPRING Singapore was formed by the Singapore Government to oversee the growth of Singapore Enterprises and provided local companies with a suite of assistance programmes including a franchising framework.

The other agency was the Trade and Development Board (TDB). Formed in 1983, the TDB was tasked to help Singapore-based companies internationalise and grow in an increasingly global market. They provided support to Singapore businesses through trade facilitation, reviewing of marketing policies, strategies and techniques. The TDB was rebranded as IE Singapore in 2002 to reflect Singapore’s shift from export promotion to helping Singaporean business start and develop opportunities overseas. In April 2018, the two agencies merged to become Enterprise Singapore. What has not changed is the partnership with Kinderland’s parent company – Crestar Education Group - in growing Singapore’s preschool businesses overseas.

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TraversingAsia

In 1987, Ms Jane Ching-Kwan, together with the late Dr John Henry Martin, a renowned American life-long educator, set up the first Writing-to-Read Laboratory in Asia in Kinderland Marine Parade.

Supported by IBM's Education Division, the Writing-to-Read Programme is a comprehensive computer-based instructional system designed to help the child learn to write even before learning to read based on the phonemic principle. The success of the Writing-to-Read programme led to Kinderland being appointed IBM’s Asia training hub for this project.

T R A V E R S I N G A S I A

Even as Kinderland sought to strengthen its curriculum locally, they were already looking at overseas expansion. In 1986, eight years after its founding, Kinderland opened its first overseas branch in Ipoh, Malaysia. It was Singapore’s first preschool brand to venture overseas.

The early 1990s presented remarkable growth opportunities both regionally and within Singapore. In 1993, with support from SPRING Singapore, Kinderland began the franchising of its preschool business. Learninghill Educare, with whom Kinderland has a strong relationship until today, was the first franchisee in Singapore, establishing their first kindergarten in 1994. On the overseas front, Kinderland was working with TDB to launch its first two foreign franchisees in Jakarta, Indonesia and Suzhou, China, both in 1995.

Dr Carol Loy has been Kinderland’s Director of Curriculum & Professional Development since 2007. One of her key roles is providing support for Kinderland’s growth overseas, customising and localising Kinderland’s curriculum to suit local needs while maintaining Kinderland’s quality standards.

With over 30 years of experience as a preschool teacher, principal, trainer and curriculum specialist, Dr Loy is well qualified to spearhead the many innovative curricula and best practices within the Kinderland family of preschools and childcare centres.

She made many contributions to the development of the Kinderland music curriculum and products, the most significant being the Preschool Band and Preschool Stage Ensemble.

She has also headed several key studies on early child care education including one with Singapore’s National Institute of Education on the effect of music curriculum on reading performance of preschoolers. Another study was with Dr Akira Maehashi of the Waseda University, Japan on the effectiveness of formal physical education on the abilities of children.

Dr Loy holds a Doctorate in Education from the University of Western Australia and a Bachelor of Science and Music from the University of Oregon, USA.

Opportunities to grow

“Both SPRING and the TDB were of immense help to us in the early days in growing Kinderland. TDB had advocated the franchising model to reduce our risk and capital outlay. SPRING Singapore provided the model and helped us develop it further for both local and overseas franchisees. We took the advice because we knew that both these organisations had done extensive work on the ground and we trusted their findings.”

Mr Seet Lee KiangGeneral Manager, Kinderland Educare Services Pte Ltd

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Kinderland Malaysia flagship centre at USJ11, Kuala Lumpur

Kinderland had already established two centres in Malaysia in the 1980s. In 2002, a subsidiary joint-ven-ture company, Crestar Education Malaysia (CEM), was formed under the leadership of Mr Arthur Ng, the former managing director of Yamaha Music Malaysia.

To grow the brand, Mr Ng had to ensure that Kinder-land met the education requirements and culture for Malaysia.   CEM worked with local early childhood education experts to incorporate Bahasa Malaysia into the school curriculum. While most subjects were taught in English, the preschool children in Malaysia also took Mandarin and Bahasa Malaysia.

Currently, Kinderland has over 23 schools spread across Peninsula Malaysia.

Kinderland Malaysia

“People are not your most important asset.The right people are.”

Mr Arthur NgChief Executive Officer, Crestar Education Malaysia

In 2008, a cornerstone in Kinderland’s development in Malaysia was laid when CEM successfully tendered for the consultancy project to assist Bank Negara of Malaysia (BNM) in the design and building of the country’s largest purpose-built childcare centre for its employees at Perkarangan Tun Ismail. The centre was to accommo-date more than 400 children between the ages of three months to six years. It was the largest childcare centre to be built at that time. As planned, the state-of-the-art Centre would provide a conducive and comfortable environment to cater for the learning and development needs of the children.

In addition to its consultancy role in the centre design, Kinderland was also responsible for the design of the curriculum as well as ensuring that the centre met with the Ministry of Education’s requirements for best teaching practices.

Milestone project on Malaysia’slargest workplace child care centre

©pwincessdee.blogspot.com

T R A V E R S I N G A S I A

Top: Kinderland Kuningan, Jakarta

Right: Dr and Mrs Supranos of Kinderland Jakarta with Mr Robert Leong

Bandung

Kinderland’s second Indonesian centre after Jakarta is Bandung. In 2002, Mr Rusli Sutanto and his wife Susan decided to move back to Indonesia after living in Singapore for a few years. Their daughter had been studying at Kinderland in Singapore; the Sutantos were impressed the brand’s quality preschool education. The unique bilingual curriculum incorporating best practices from the East and the West, the keyboard music training and computer-aided learning was ahead of its time. When they returned to Bandung, the Sutantos decided to take up the Kinderland Franchise for Bandung.

Since 2002, the Sutantos had gone on to establish a primary as well as a secondary school in Bandung to provide Kinderland graduates with a seamless learning path.

Kinderland Bandung

Kinderland Indonesia

Jakarta

Twenty-three years ago, Kinderland’s first and longest partnership began when Mrs Suparno, unable to find a suitable kindergarten locally for her son, started a regional search for a reputable preschool brand to bring to Jakarta. In 1994, Mrs Suparno and her husband, Dr Suparno Adijanto, founded Indonesia’s first Kinderland centre in South Jakarta. Today, Mrs Suparno oversees two internationally accredited primary and secondary schools and six Kinderland preschools.

With Indonesia’s economic growth, the number of affluent families, and the demand for quality education, also increase in tandem. In February 2016 Kinderland Educare Services and the Suparnos inked a joint venture agreement to leverage on the combined strengths and expertise of both partners to provide greater access to quality preschool education in Indonesia.

To quote Dr Suparno, this long and fruitful relationship is possible because it is “built on shared values and a passion for excellence in education.”

“We have had the pleasure of working with Kinderland for the past twenty years. Our long standing relationship was, and continues to be, built on shared values and a passion for excellence in education. Together, we will continue to impact future generations of children.”

Dr Suparno AdijantoFounding Director of PT Bumi Raya Putera

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Medan

Mr Yanuar Irawan was looking to start a kindergarten in 2005. He believes that children, if appropriately nurtured at an early age will develop the mental, emotional, and physical skills to grow to their full potential – and tackle whatever future challenges they may face in an ever-changing and increasingly competitive world. Kinderland as a brand for quality early childhood education was already established in Indonesia, and Mr Yanuar Irawan became the third Indonesian franchisee.

Kinderland Medan

Surabaya

Kinderland Surabaya was started in 2011 by Dr Windarto Welim who wanted the children from his hometown to have the opportunity to benefit from the quality preschool education which Kinderland is renowned for. Dr Windarto prefers to keep a very low profile, leaving the business operation to his capable partner, Ms Tanny Chen.

Ms Chen has a long affiliation with Kinderland dating back to 1996 when she was involved with Kinderland Suzhou, China. She moved on to work with Kinderland affiliate centres in Shanghai and Jakarta before taking up the challenge to set up and manage Kinderland Surabaya. As with other cities in Indonesia, Surabaya is prospering. Ms Chen believes that the time is ripe for expansion. As she puts it: “The need for better and more quality education is growing in the country. We hope to leverage on the strong Kinderland brand and open more centres in the next few years.”

In 2018, Ms Chen and the Kinderland Surabaya franchisee opted to enter into a joint venture with Kinderland to open their first international school, The Grange Institute in 2019 to offer quality primary schooling for graduating Kinderland and other preschoolers in Surabaya.

Kinderland Surabaya

Today, Kinderland through its partners and franchisees has 10 schools in Indonesia.

T R A V E R S I N G A S I A

KinderlandBangladesh

In 2005, a group of professionals working at the National University of Singapore, led by Dr MD Towfique Islam, wanted to bring an established Singapore preschool brand to their home town of Dhaka, Bangladesh. With their children in Kinderland Preschool, they were confident with what the brand can offer.

Kinderland Dhaka Preschool is the pioneer in introducing quality early childhood education to Bangladesh. The centre’s teachers were trained by Kinderland Singapore’s professional team.

Kinderland Bangladesh

The first China Kinderland preschool was established in Suzhou in the year 1995, to cater to the expatriate community working in and around the then developing Suzhou International Park.

In 2012, Kinderland started a joint-venture preschool in Xiamen. The Kinderland music-infused curriculum was unique to China and the centre quickly established itself as one of the premier kindergartens in Xiamen. In 2017, Kinderland opened a direct centre with a capacity for 500 children in Zhuhai, a Special Economic Zone and one of the fastest growing precinct in Guangdong, China.

Kinderland China

Kinderland Zhuhai, China

ELFA International New City Preschool in Dalian won rave reviews for its architectural design

Kinderland started its first preschool in Suzhou, China in 1995, to cater to the expatriate communities working in and around the Suzhou Industrial Park. The novel curriculum attracted many middle-income local Chinese who came knocking on the doors of the new preschool.To comply with the requirements of local Education Bureaus, the parent company, Crestar Education Group launched a sister brand, ELFA Preschool, with a customised curriculum, for the local Chinese. Today, the ELFA Preschool network has more than 30 centres across China.

Unexpected birth of Kinderland’s sisterpreschool, ELFA, in China

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KinderlandCambodia

Cambodia is developing rapidly and with it, comes an increasing demand for quality education and English-based instruction for children between 18 months to 6 years of age. Recognising this, Mr Taing Seng Por, a Cambodian-Chinese businessman with a deep passion for education started the first Kinderland centre in Phnom Penh in early 2016. 

In 2018, Kinderland’s new international primary school division, operating under The Grange Institute brand, started a partnership with Mr Taing to offer quality primary schooling for graduating Kinderland and other preschoolers in Cambodia.

Kinderland Vietnam

Kinderland Cambodia

Kinderland Suzhou, China Graduation Day for Kinderland children in Suzhou in 2000

KinderlandVietnam

Mr Le Xuan Son, a successful Vietnamese businessman, was looking for a partner to start a kindergarten in Ho Chih Minh City. Kinderland, with its excellent reputation for early childhood education and forty years of history, was a natural choice.

The first school will open its doors in early 2019 in Vista Verde, a upmarket residential development by Singapore’s Capitaland. Following Ho Chih Minh City, Kinderland plans to expand to the other major cities in Vietnam in the near future.

Up until 2010, there were only Kinderland and the KLC School of Education (renamed KLC International Institute in 2015) under Kinderland Educare Services.

This, however, was about to change in a huge way.

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Growing theKinderland family

A joint-research by Kinderland and NurtureStars with Dr Maehashi and delivered in Conference by National Institute of Education in January 2018, found that children who had undergone a formal physical education curriculum out-performed their counterparts in all 5 aspects of the Physical Ability Assessment (Grip, Crawl, Run, Jump, Toss).

Through its partnership with JACPA, NurtureStars takes the physical education curriculum to another level.

In 2001, Kinderland was invited to operate childcare services in clubs run by the Singapore Armed Forces Reservists Association (SAFRA). SAFRA offers recreational facilities and activities, through its own clubs, for its members.

In 2010, Kinderland and SAFRA collaborated to start the first NurtureStars Preschool.  It provided a unique physical-education-focused curriculum specially designed for the new venture through a tie-up with JACPA, one of Japan’s largest sports academies for preschoolers. Kinderland’s own partnership with JACPA spans a decade, starting in 2005 when the first batch of JACPA instructors was sent to Singapore to launch the first gymnastics classes in 10 Kinderland centres.

By 2018, there are six NurtureStars Preschools in SAFRA clubs  across Singapore providing childcare services for more than 600,000 National Servicemen and their families.  

G R O W I N G T H E K I N D E R L A N D F A M I L Y

The proliferation of Kinderland preschools across Asia created a new demand by parents – an international primary school that would allow their Kinderland preschoolers to further develop their creative potential.

In 2018, Kinderland started The Grange Institution (TGI) which offers Cambridge International Primary Curriculum fused with creative skill-based programmes that prepare students for learning in the twenty-first century. TGI opened its doors to students in Singapore and Phnom Penh, Cambodia in 2018; its Surabaya school scheduled to open in 2019.

Collaboration with SAFRA

The Effectiveness of a Formal Physical Education Curriculum on the Physical Ability of Children by Dr Akira Maehashi, Waseda University Japan

From right: Mr Ho Lye Sum, Chairman of NurtureStars, Dr and Mrs Supranos of Kinderland Jakarta, Mr Katsuo Igarashi, Chairman/CEO of JACPA, Ms Kwan Peck Leng of Kinderland Educare Services, Mr Tatsuya Sugo, Executive Vice President of JACPA and Mr Robert Leong of Kinderland Educare Services

Dr Akira MaehashiWaseda University Japan

The Grange Institution: Seamlesstransition from preschool to primary

The Grange Institution shares the campus with Kinderland Preschool at Yio Chu Kang

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In 2014, Singapore’s Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) expanded the Anchor Operator (AOP) Scheme to include three private operators, to allow more lower-income Singaporeans access good quality and affordable early childhood care and education.

Kinderland, one of the three operators appointed by ECDA, started Skool4Kidz Preschool together with Dr Jane Ching-Kwan, a well-known early childhood specialist. The operation is managed by an independent team and has a different curriculum. In the words of Dr Jane Ching-Kwan, its Curriculum Founder, “Skool4Kidz is to provide technology-aided learning focused on a comprehensive ‘learn-as-you-grow’ curriculum that is sustainable from home.”

Skool4Kidz currently has 15 centres in Singapore, with plans to add another 9 by 2020.

Anchor Operator appointed by ECDA

Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for Social & Family Development, and Second Minister of National Development, attending the Hour of Code Meet at Skool4Kidz in 2017

The Hour of Code is a US-initiative supported by the likes of ex-US President Barack Obama and Microsoft’s Bill Gates. It encourages students to dedicate at least one hour a day to learning computer science. Some 250 children from 13 Skool4Kidz childcare centres participated in the first ‘Hour Of Code’ Meet in November 2017. They carried out problem-solving activities using programmable tech toys to address challenges given to them by their teachers.

Skool4Kidz hosted Singapore’s First ‘Hour OfCode’ Meet in November 2017

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Philanthropy

Kinderland has long taken a holistic approach in the education of young children. The nurturing of strong moral character and development of a global mindset is crucial to Kinderland’s mission to give them a head start to become outstanding individuals.

One of the characteristics of the Kinderland child is ‘compassion’. Ample opportunities are provided for them to extend their compassion to the community at large and to disaster-stricken victims overseas. Besides outright cash donations, Kinderland children also contribute through

The Little Entrepreneur programme is a platform for children to experience what it is like to be an entrepreneur and what an entrepreneur does in operating a business. More importantly, the children are taught to care about and contribute to social causes. These causes range from helping the less fortunate to saving endangered animals and the environment.

projects like the Little Entrepreneur programme.

Charity at home

2015 S$18,000 Nepal Gorkha Earthquake 2013 S$3,500 Philippines Typhoon Haiyan2011 S$22,500 Japan Tohoku Earthquake & Tsunami 2008 S$3,500 Myanmar Cyclone Nargis S$18,000 China Sichuan Earthquake S$5,000 China Snow Storm Disaster MYR$7,000 Malaysia Hope Worldwide: 2004 S$15,000 Sumatra Earthquake & Tsunami

In 2006, the children contributed S$10,000 to the Straits Times Pocket Money Fund, a Singapore Press Holding’s initiative to help Singapore children from low income families stay in school.Kinderland has also been supporting Arc Children’s Centre since 2013. The organisation is dedicated to nurturing and enriching the lives of children with cancer, providing education and developmental activities in a joyful environment. More than S$100,000 has been raised by Kinderland children for Arc Children’s Centre over the last five years.

P H I L A N T H R O P Y

Following the Nepal Gorkha Earthquake of 2015, children in Kinderland Singapore did their part to raise money for the victims

Devastation brought about by the China Sichuan Earthquake of 2008

Over the last 10 years or so, children at Kinderland donated close to S$100,000 to help disaster victims across Asia – by parting with their pocket money, selling snacks and hand-made items and other activities. Through these fund-raising activities, Kinderland children learn strong values about compassion and also resourcefulness through their Little Entrepreneur fund-raising enterprises. In the process, they also received invaluable lessons on issues like climate change, physical geography, and even personal safety in the event of a disaster.

Lending a helping hand to disaster victims overseas

Kinderland launched a series of activities in 2018 to cultivate an appreciation among the children for the world they live in.

For the ‘Together for Wildlife’ campaign, 200 preschoolers visited the Singapore Zoo to raise public awareness of the importance of preserving wildlife and biodiversity.

This was followed by a beach cleaning activity together with AUPDRW (Public Daily Rated Union). Children saw first-hand how littering harms the environment; they do their part to save the environment by helping to clear rubbish along the beaches.

Preschoolers were also encouraged to plant their own herb gardens and vegetable plots at Kinderland Yio Chu Kang. Besides cultivating the value of responsibility, the exercise also nurtures eco-loving children.

Water is a precious commodity and to raise awareness of the importance of water among preschoolers, taps were turned off across all Kinderland preschools in Singapore as part of World Water Day to promote water conservation. On that day, Kinderland preschoolers experienced a water rationing exercise for the first time and were taught how to save water in their daily lives.

“I Love Otters” is one of Kinderland initiatives in 2017 to protect endangered animal species. Through the Little Entrepreneur Programme, a total of S$10,000 was raised and donated to The Singapore Zoological Gardens to help conservation of wildlife

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‘Loving the World We Live In’

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2019 and beyond will present exciting challenges for the early childhood industry in Singapore. Technology has been transforming the way organisations interact with its staff, customers and even with governments and other organisations. The Singapore Government intends to capitalise on this technological advancement to build a “Smart Nation that is a leading economy powered by digital innovation, and a world-class city with a Government that gives our citizens the best home possible and responds to their different and changing needs.”

At the 2017 National Day Rally Speech, Singapore Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong announced several new initiatives, one of which is the Early Childhood Industry Transformation Map (ITM). The ITM is a roadmap to steer the early childhood sector towards more innovation and higher productivity.

Embracing the Digital Future

e-Ambassador sessions allow Kinderland children from other countries to share learning and experiences in real time

A giant LED panel put up at Suntec City during the 2nd Early Childhood Teachers Training Day on 20 July, 2018

E M B R A C I N G T H E D I G I T A L F U T U R E

distance, the children will be able to study up close the endangered species in their natural habitats through VR goggles.

Through improved internet connectivity, Kinderland children in different countries, in different centres, can learn local cultures and share experiences through Kinderland’s e-Ambassador programme.

When Kinderland started forty years ago, music was a key component in the curriculum. In the 1980s, the computer-aided creative writing programme - Writing-to-Read - was added to enhance children’s cognitive abilities and overall development.

The next phase will see the inclusion of more smart technologies in classroom learning. Children will be able to interact with technology in different ways. Robotic toys that teach coding today will be complemented with Virtual Reality (VR) devices which bring the outside world into the classroom. For example, to complement visits to the zoo to see pangolins from a safe

Smart learning for preschoolers

In the foreseeable future, children’s performance data could be collated from each centre in each country. An Intelligence System analyses their strengths and shows growth areas, benchmarked in their growth cycle. Teachers can then customise programmes to not only maximise the children’s potential, but make their learning journey fun.

Smart analysis of learning potential

Kinderland and ELFA senior management team with Dr Natalie Rusk, a lead research scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Laboratory, to learn about the development of Scratch Jr., a popular children coding programme in 2015

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More than 700 guests, principals and teaching staff attended the training session

Upgrading teaching qualitythrough e-trainingThe technological transformation of mass communication has made the working world a whole lot smaller. Incorporation of digital technology in Kinderland centres will be utilised to bring knowledge and people closer together. Kinderland teachers from all over the region will be able to meet and participate in learning workshops and seminars without having to leave their centres. This knowledge can also be stored in a repository in the “cloud”, accessible by any teacher, at anytime, anywhere. Already taking place in some Kinderland centres in Singapore and China, this new training mode will be more prevalent in the next few years.

The ability to collate, disseminate and interpret data is one of the key initiatives that Kinderland is looking at in the next ten years. In place are ready and invaluable data gathered from its adherence to the very strict standards of the Singapore Quality Class which measures and benchmarks seven dimensions of excellence; Leadership, Planning, Information, People, Processes, Customers and Results. Plans are afoot to implement a platform to ensure that these standards are implemented and maintained or exceeded across all Kinderland centres,

Systems to achieve qualitystandards in operation

On 20 July 2018, some 700 guests, principals and teaching staff from Kinderland, Skool4Kidz, NurtureStars and ELFA preschools attended a full-day session to familiarise themselves with computational thinking and delivery in classrooms.

The session went paperless from the word ‘go’. Participants registered electronically via tablets. Programme booklets for the event were retrieved by scanning a given QR code. Q&As were also conducted online. The event is one of many initiatives to help staff embrace the new digital future.

Group training to equip early childhood teachers with knowledge and skills for the 21st Century classrooms

On-going web-based training for staff at Kinderland

ensuring the quality of Kinderland’s operations. Annual audit findings can be shared by all and best practices identified and implemented.

Milestones2018 - Launching the first Kinderland centre in Vietnam, in Ho Chi Minh City

- The Grange Institution opened in Singapore, and Phnom Penh, Cambodia

- Kinderland@Ministry of Education (MOE) awarded the Early Childhood Innovation Award (Distinction) for the project ‘STREAM Through Discoveries” by ECDA

2017 - Skool4Kidz organised the first “Hour of Code Pre-schoolers Meet” in Singapore

- Kinderland opened the first centre in Zhuhai, China

- Kinderland, NurtureStars and ELFA Preschools held the largest combined Preschool Sports Meet; more than 800 children participated

- Started Franchise Centre – Eileen’s Education Hub Pte Ltd - in Loyang Point, Singapore

2016 - Started the first centre in Cambodia, in Phnom Penh

- Introduced the first preschool stage ensemble in Singapore

- Featured infants and toddlers participation for the first time at Kinderland Sports Fiesta

- Inked joint venture partnership with Jakarta Area Franchisee for expansion in Jakarta and other Indonesia cities (excluding Bandung, Medan and Surabaya)

- Signed joint-venture agreement with JACPA Corporation to promote preschool sports and physical education in the region

2015 - Introduced Kinderland Preschool Marching Band to Xiamen, China – the second outside Japan

2014 - Skool4Kidz, a subsidiary of Kinderland Educare Services, appointed Anchor Operator by ECDA

2012 - Started the first Kinderland centre in Xiamen, China

2010 - Introduced the first preschool marching band in Singapore – the first outside of Japan

- Collaborated with SAFRA to launch NurtureStars Preschool brand

- Started franchised operation in Surabaya, Indonesia

2008 - Appointed Workplace Child Care operator by Ministry of National Development

- Awarded the Pro-Family Business Mark by Singapore Productivity Association

2007 - Started Kinderland Child Care Centre in SAFRA Tampines (subsequently rebranded to NurtureStars)

2006 - Appointed Workplace Child Care operator by Ministry of Manpower

- KLC School of Education (KLC) conferred Singapore Quality Class - Private Education Organisation Award

2005 - Started first Kinderland centre in Bangladesh, in Dhaka

- Began franchised operation in Medan, Indonesia

- KLC hosted first International Chinese Early Childhood Education Conference in Singapore

- KLC accredited CASETrust for Education

2004 - Awarded Singapore Quality Class Award

- KLC launched the first Bachelor Degree in Chinese in Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE), in collaboration with Beijing Normal University

2003 - KLC hosted the first Asia Chinese Early Childhood Education Conference in Singapore

- Started Franchised Centre – Bloom Educare Pte Ltd - in Upper Changi Road, Singapore

- Started Franchised Centre – Rainbowland Learning Centre Pte Ltd - in Bishan, Singapore

2002 - Appointed Workplace Child Care operator by Singapore Polytechnic

- Received Singapore Promising Brand Award

- Commenced Child Care Centre operation in Pandan Valley, Singapore’s first condominium

- Appointed Workplace Child Care operator by The Monetary Authority of Singapore

- Established the first Kinderland Franchise Centre in Bandung, Indonesia

- Set up subsidiary company, ELFA Shanghai Management Consultancy in Shanghai, China

- Started subsidiary company, Crestar Education Malaysia Sdn Bhd in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2001 - Opened Kinderland Child Care Centre at SAFRA Toa Payoh (subsequently rebranded to NurtureStars)

- Opened Kinderland Singapore Franchise Child Care Centre - EQ Educare Pte Ltd - in Choa Chu Kang

- KLC accredited by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports and Preschool Qualifications Accreditation. Committee to conduct Certificate and Diploma programmes in Preschool Education and Leadership

- Yamaha Music (Asia) divested preschool business under the “Kinderland” brand as part of strategic restructuring exercise.

- Kinderland became a wholly-owned Singapore company after management buy-out

2000 - Received Singapore Franchise Mark

- Started Kinderland Child Care Centre in Woodlands Civic Centre, Singapore

1999 - Started Kinderland Franchise Child Care Centre in Woodlands Mart, Singapore. Subsequently converted to joint-venture centre - K Joy Pte Ltd - in 2018

- Opened Kinderland Singapore Franchise Kindergarten - EQ Educare Learners Pte Ltd - in Choa Chu Kang

1998 - Opened Kinderland Singapore’s second Franchise Centre with Learninghill Pasir Ris Ltd in Pasir Ris, Singapore

- Converted direct centre in Ipoh, Malaysia to Kinderland’s Franchise Preschool and Child Care

- KLC became the first private teachers training agency to be accredited by the National Institute of Education (NIE) to conduct the Certificate in Preschool Teaching (CPT) in both English and Chinese for kindergarten teachers in Singapore

1997 - Launched MIBuzz Before & After School Programme for primary school children services in Yio Chu Kang, Singapore

- KLC (then Kinderland Learning Centre) introduced the first ECCE Diploma in English in collaboration with Queensland University of Technology, Australia

1996 - Started Kinderland Preschool in Pandan Valley Condominium, Singapore’s first condominium

1995 - Appointed Jakarta Area Franchisee and opened the first Franchise Centre in Jakarta, Indonesia

- KLC launched the first diploma course in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) in collaboration with Beijing Normal University

1994 - Opened Kinderland’s first Franchise Centre - Learninghill Educare Centre Pte Ltd - in Siglap, Singapore

1992 - Opened the first Kinderland Child Care Centre in Ipoh, Malaysia

- KLC launched the ECCE Diploma in Chinese in collaboration with Beijing Normal University

- KLC held the first mega-scale graduation ceremony with 500 graduands

1991 - KLC launched the first Chinese Intermediate Intensive Course in ECCE in collaboration with Taiwan Normal University

- Opened Kinderland’s large preschool on a 28,000-square-feet site in Yio Chu Kang, Singapore

- Relocated Kinderland Child Care Centre from Thomson to Yio Chu Kang, Singapore

1990 - Commenced operation for Kinderland Child Care Centre in Jurong East, Singapore

- Opened Kinderland Child Care Centre in Hougang, Singapore

1988 - KLC (now KLC International Institute) became first private training agency to conduct ECCE courses accredited by the then Ministry of Community Development (now Ministry of Social & Family Development)

1987 - Opened Kinderland's first American-model child care centre in Singapore, in Thomson Plaza

- Launched Kinderland’s first infant and toddler service

- Spun off in-house teachers training unit to form Kinderland Learning Centre (KLC) to conduct training for the public

1986 - Kinderland Educare Service Pte Ltd officially formed to develop the preschool business

- Rebranded Yamaha Kindergarten to ‘Kinderland Kindergarten’

- Started first Kinderland kindergarten in Ipoh, Malaysia

1984 - Opened second kindergarten in Hougang, Singapore

1978 - Started Singapore’s first private corporate-run kindergarten - Yamaha Kindergarten in Marine Parade

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References:https://ie.enterprisesg.gov.sg/Venture-Overseas/SgGoesGlobal/Crestarhttps://www.singaporememory.sg/contents/SMA-6f608074-93bb-4bc3-b830-e5e1e1eecab6https://kinderland.com.sg/xiamen-first-pre-school-marching-band/https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/2288-6729-4-1-23http://startsmalldreambig.sg/p/startsmalldreambig/schools/kinderland-pre-school-and-kindergarten-47887https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/2288-6729-4-1-23

Congratulations

Singapore

Mrs Janet HoDirector of Learninghill Educare Pte Ltd, Kinderland Preschool @ Siglap

“We extend our heartiest congratulations to Kinderland for completing 40 glorious years of success, a milestone which surely deserves recognition.

We are proud to have a business association with Kinderland and truly feel privileged to be part of Kinderland’s achievement.

We wish Kinderland many successful years of glory to come.”

Indonesia

Jakarta

Mr Jonathan AdijantoDirector of Kinderland Preschools @ Jakarta, Indonesia

“Dr and Mrs Suparno and the team at Yayasan Bumi Raya Putera would like to extend our most sincere congratulations to Kinderland Singapore for their fortieth year providing the highest quality of education and care for young children across the region. We wish you success upon success.

This year also marks the 25th year of our close relationship with Kinderland in Indonesia. In Kinderland, we have found a partner which shares our values of excellence, integrity, and belief in the unique potential within every young child. Through developing and implementing quality early childhood curriculum in our centres, over the years Kinderland Jakarta has provided amazing, positive impact to so many families in our country. Thousands of young children have graduated from Kinderland preschools in Indonesia. Our first few years of graduates are in their twenties and have become productive members of society. We look forward to the years when these alumni will send their own children to join us. Together with Kinderland Singapore, we hope to continue to nurture, enrich, and inspire the young for many more years to come.”

Bandung

Mr Rusli Sutanto & Mrs Anna SusannaDirectors of Kinderland Preschool @ Bandung, Indonesia

“Congratulation on your 40th Anniversary. We wish you continuous success and may Kinderland be the inspiration for Childhood Education in Asia.”

Medan

Mr and Mrs Yanuar and Melinda IrawanDirectors of Kinderland Preschool @ Medan, Indonesia

“This milestone offers a great opportunity to reflect upon the history of KES and the amount of contribution and dedication it has made to the personal and academic development in Singapore and its franchise centres in South East Asia. As it passes this important milestone, KES has every reason to be proud of its past and excited of its future. As a franchise operator in Medan, Indonesia, we believe KES will continue its vocation of preparing every child to engage successfully in many years to come.”

Surabaya

Ms Tanny Chen YingDirector of Kinderland Preschool @ Surabaya, Indonesia

“Kinderland has been an inspiration to the professional growth and development to the preschool industry. It has been my greatest pleasure to be part of the family for the last 22 years. Thank you Kinderland Singapore for the inspiration! It motivates me to continue to mould well-rounded, creative and intellectual leaders and staff that will contribute to the early childhood industry.

Happy 40th Anniversary!”

Congratulations

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Congratulations

Malaysia

Arthur NgChief Executive Officer, Crestar Education Malaysia

“To fellow Colleagues,

The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined efforts of every individual.

To the Bosses,

The key to keeping Company for another 40 years is to be able to choose the people who are working along with you, whose presence calls forth the best out of you.

Happy 40th Anniversary!”

Bangladesh

Israt JahanPrincipal of Kinderland Preschool @ Dhaka, Bangladesh

“On Kinderland’s 40th anniversary there is an assortment of memorabilia to reflect upon and it is an honour to be able to reach out to all of you with a few words from myself. The fundamental basis of

Kinderland is formed by its people. A successful institution is defined by the profound hard work, persistent dedication and collaboration amongst individuals with a shared vision.

Over the last 40 years, Kinderland’s vision to enrich every child with skills and experiences to nurture, enhance and embrace each child’s own potential to grow not only as an individual but as a global citizen of the world has been remarkable.

On behalf of Singapore School Kinderland (SSK), I would like to wish our extended family at Kinderland, the heartiest congratulations for achieving 40 years of changing the face of preschool education.”

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Congratulations

Vietnam

Mr Le Xuan SonPartner in Vietnam

“For education, it is no doubt that the elder are always the wiser ones. Kinderland, with the ‘green tree of knowledge’, has been proving to be the wisest and the leader of its market.

On behalf of my family and anyone from Vietnam who know Kinderland, congratulation to your ongoing 40 years of success! I am very sure parents and kids of Vietnam will love you very much in future!”

Cambodia

Mr Taing Seng Por School Director, Kinderand International Cambodia

This year is a meaningful year for us as Kinderland Preschool embarks on its 40th year of excellence and success. On behalf of Kinderland Cambodia, it gives me great pleasure to congratulate Kinderland on its 40th anniversary. Through everyone’s exemplary dedication and support, the school has provided excellent quality in early childhood education and have made Kinderland who we are today.

Congratulations to all of us and the entire staff for our dedicated and thoughtful work in reaching this milestone, and please accept my very best wishes for the continued success of Kinderland.

The 5Csof the

KinderlandChild

Kinderland knows that a child is precious, they are the future.

While it is important to preparethem intellectually, physically and emotionally, it is also important

to develop other aspects of a child’s character.

These characteristics that Kinderland strive to nurture in each

child are known as the 5Cs:

CURIOUS Kinderland child has an active desire

and eagerness to investigate, learn and to know about his or her environment

CREATIVE Kinderland child displays enjoyment and imagination in approaching new

things and ideas

CAPABLE Kinderland child shows ability,

competence and skill in his or her undertaking of tasks

CONFIDENTKinderland child projects

self-reliance and belief in his or her ability to do well and succeed

CARING Kinderland child is conscientious,

considerate and shows concern