Children from low-income and at-risk families have received top-quality pre-school education, thanks to a generous donation made by a ONE (SINGAPORE) partner, which funded the salaries of two educators for 18 months.

Through a matching grant system, Edrington and its employees participated in ONE (SINGAPORE)’s Concrete Actions Programme (CAP) and contributed nearly S$90,000 to Child at Street 11, a charity that helps families break the poverty cycle in one generation.

A portion of Edrington’s donation also supported ONE (SINGAPORE)’s campaign to Make Poverty History and groceries for struggling families in Bedok earlier this year.

At Child at Street 11, well-trained preschool teachers like Jacqueline Fletcher and Rabiah Hassan - whose salaries were sponsored by Edrington - not only educate children, they also work with parents to better help them better address child behavioral issues.  The charity engages the community — working with external agencies, social workers, counselors, education psychologists, doctors and other professionals — to support meaningful change in the lives of children who might be left behind in traditional classrooms.

Rabiah Hassan, a mid-career professional trained in early childhood education, consistently integrates new experiences with traditional knowledge to help children aged as young as 18 months settle into childcare settings.  Her knowledge of the arts, cooking and creative self-expression has helped foster meaningful change in the lives of Child at Street 11’s pre-schoolers from the very beginning of their educational journeys.

Jacqueline Fletcher is a pre-school teacher trained in the Montessori method with over 30 years’ experience.  At Child at Street 11, she has looked after the educational and emotional needs of a small group of six-year olds, a particularly important year for Singapore students as they start formal education at age seven.  Many of Jacqueline’s students struggle with dyslexia, autism and the residual effects of traumatic life experiences.  Her contributions to early childhood education have resulted in the publication of three books that show cased the power of young children's learning.

Investments in early education are particularly important because first learning experiences deeply affect children’s emotional, social and physical development.

Students who attended preschool and other tuition classes also have a competitive edge when it’s time for exams that shape their educational and professional careers.  While Singapore’s education system is structured around the concept of meritocracy, meritocracy is only truly possible if all children are equipped with the same resources.  Low-income and at-risk families generally cannot afford pre-school programmes, without external assistance.  Many centres also lack integrated programmes to help children with emotional support needs.

During the 2017 National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highlighted investments that the government has made in pre-school education over the past five years and pledged to double annual spending on pre-school education within the next five years.

ONE (SINGAPORE) thanks Child at Street 11 for the fantastic work that it does to foster early education and Edrington Singapore for its contribution to the campaign to Make Poverty History.

If you would like to participate in the Concrete Actions Programme - and take actions in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals - please contact us!