Singapore has over 300 student care centres. Since they are regulated by the Ministry of Education, there are set minimum standards that the centres have to meet. However, some after school care centres are better than others.
Here are the qualities that make some of the centres stand out:
Research-backed Enrichment Classes
Afterschool student care centres in Singapore perform different functions to meet the needs of the children. Since the children are of school-going age, a good student care centre will provide age-appropriate enrichment classes to help them navigate challenging subjects in school.
The approach for the enrichment classes should reflect the child’s needs. Some students need help with schoolwork because the teaching style needs to suit them. School care centres have smaller student-teacher ratios, so personalized care and attention will help the child overcome academic challenges.
Focus On Holistic Development
The best student care centres in Singapore is concerned about a child’s holistic development. The recommended age for children attending student care centres is 7 – 14 years. Younger children are still developing their motor skills and require physical activities that enhance these skills.
The centre should also introduce games that test a child’s social and decision-making skills. Children are constantly making choices, and games will help enhance skills that will be useful as the child grows.
The more children are exposed to situations where they are required to use social or critical decision-making skills, the better they will get at manoeuvring unchartered waters.
Play And Learning Opportunities
Play comes naturally for children in a Singapore student care centre. They can interact with other children while they time away as they wait for their parents. MOE requires student care centres to have an outdoor play area for students.
Some centres also have indoor playrooms for younger children. Structured play activities serve multiple functions if adequately framed and executed. For example, teachers can use play to impart valuable lessons to children.
The activities should stimulate all the child’s senses without making the school care centre look like an extension of their school hours. For example, the centre allows children to study and do homework. In that case, the teachers should make the time enjoyable.
Assist the children, but at the same time, let it not be a vigorous process. Balancing the activities by ensuring the children get help and enjoy it is critical if the centre wants to be among Singapore’s best student care centres.
Quiet Time
Children, like adults, need space to relax and recover after playing. They have also spent hours in school, and they need to take a break.
A good after school care centre should have a structured schedule that lets children know when they’ll rest, snack time, and playtime.
Children with homework should also know when to work on their assignments.
School care centres should meet the needs of children of all ages. Children need structure and flexibility to perform tasks that capture their interests. They will enjoy after school care even more when it doesn’t feel like an extension of school hours.