COVID-19 Influences on the Quality of Curriculum in Selected Childcare Centres in Singapore

Singapore’s death rates from COVID-19 are among the lowest in the world. After a two-month closure of all educational settings in 2020, early childhood professionals worked to re-open childcare centres using a phased approach. COVID-safe classroom guidelines that minimised physical interaction and eliminated outdoor play were implemented. Although these stringent procedures were designed to protect children from possible infection, they were challenging for early childhood professionals who sought to maintain the quality of the curriculum by supporting children’s well-being. In this study, well-being refers to a complex physical and psychological state and dispositions and is commonly used as an indicator of the quality of care. This study compared the same cohort of infants and toddlers’ levels of well-being before and during the pandemic in 20 selected childcare centres over two consecutive years. Data were collected by using an observational scale to assess well-being in infants and toddlers. A survey and interviews were also used to capture principals’ and teachers’ perspectives on educational opportunities and challenges during the pandemic. Findings have implications for the provision of high-quality curriculum for infants and toddlers in both local and global contexts during these uncertain times.