• During the British colonial period, institutions providing preschool education already existed but did not enter the mainstream.
• In the 1960s, the People’s Action Party (PAP) began to set up preschool institutions. At that time, the People’s Association was also involved in developing the kindergarten curriculum.
• In 1986, the PAP Community Foundation (PCF) was established, and all kindergartens under the PAP were renamed PCF Kindergartens.
• Today, kindergartens can be classified into Government-funded kindergartens, private kindergartens managed by commercial organisations, religious kindergartens managed by religious organisations such as churches and mosques, as well as kindergartens managed by community groups. The largest preschool operator is PCF.
• Local kindergartens generally offer three years of preschool education for children aged three to six. Since 2014, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has set up MOE Kindergartens, mainly offering preschool education for children aged five and six.
• Most kindergarten sessions are half a day or shorter, usually split into morning and afternoon sessions, each lasting about three to four hours. This differs from full-day childcare centres.

The Ministry of Education issued a statement this morning, announcing that 13 kindergartens will open for registration on 24 and 26 February (Saturday and Monday), from 9 am to 2 pm. These kindergartens include MOE Kindergarten @ Farrer Park and MOE Kindergarten @ Sengkang Green. (Lianhe Wanbao, 16/1/2018)

幼儿园（Mainland China, Taiwan）