TIGHT ON TIME AND LABOR

Preschool teachers described the toll taken by the long hours and heavy workload that included not just lessons, but unseen preparation and administrative work.

Star Learners’ Ms Chen said the demand for early childhood educators “significantly surpasses” the available supply of qualified applicants.

The school’s centers are thoroughly staffed, but “short-term staffing gaps” appear from time to time, she said. These are filled by relief teachers. The school also offers internships and practicums, and participates in career conversion programs.

The retired preschool teacher said that the staffing situation has already improved from the past, recalling that 10 years ago, the ratio was two teachers to almost 30 nursery students.

But others may still find the situation untenable.

The former MindChamps teacher left in 2020 after three years on the job, when the stress started spilling over into her personal life and she found herself getting “very irritable, exhausted and sick most of the time”.

“Preschool teachers are overworked, lowly paid and put under so much pressure,” said the former teacher, who has left the sector entirely.

“Everyone joins the industry with love and patience, but it really gets tested throughout. I think it’s not something