Preschool Ratios in Singapore: What the Rules Require
Singapore’s rules set the minimum number of educators a licensed preschool must have for every group of children, and the number depends on your child’s age. Infant care starts at one qualified educator to five children. Kindergarten 2 allows one educator to 25 children. These are floors, not promises of how your child’s own classroom will feel. This guide sets out the figures, explains how they are counted, and shows how to ask the right questions on a visit.
TL;DR
Qualified staff-to-child minimums run from 1:5 for infants to 1:8 for playgroup, 1:12 for pre-nursery, 1:15 for nursery, 1:20 for K1 and 1:25 for K2.
An additional assistant educator changes the numbers, for example 1+1:25 in K1, so always ask which staffing model a class uses.
The regulations also set separate, looser ratios for all operating hours and tighter ones for outdoor play in K1 and K2.
Ratios are minimums. Many centres staff above them, and the ratio in your child’s room is the one that matters.
Ask for the ratio of the specific class, at the times your child will be there, and watch a session if you can.
Table of Contents
The minimum ratios by age group
The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) publishes the minimum qualified programme staff-to-child ratios in its official FAQ on ask.gov.sg. Here is how they read, with the version that applies when an assistant educator is added.
Level | Who is in the class | Qualified educator to children | With an assistant educator |
Infant | 18 months and below | 1:5 | Not applicable |
Playgroup | 18 months to below 3 years | 1:8 | 1+1:12 |
Pre-Nursery | Turn 3 during the year | 1:12 | 1+1:18 |
Nursery | Turn 4 during the year | 1:15 | 1+1:20 |
Kindergarten 1 (K1) | Turn 5 during the year | 1:20 | 1+1:25 |
Kindergarten 2 (K2) | Turn 6 during the year | 1:25 | 1+1:30 |
The pattern is simple: the younger the child, the fewer children each educator can look after. A toddler needs hands-on help with eating, toileting and settling, while a six-year-old preparing for primary school can work in a larger group.
The levels follow the calendar year in which your child reaches a birthday, not the exact age on a given day. If you are working out which level your child falls into, our guide to preschool age in Singapore walks through the stages and timelines.
Who counts as an infant, a toddler or a kindergartener
The regulations define the groups precisely. In the 2026 Revised Edition of the Early Childhood Development Centres Regulations, an infant class covers children aged 2 months or older but below 18 months, and a playgroup covers 18 months or older but below 3 years. Pre-nursery, nursery, K1 and K2 are for children who attain 3, 4, 5 and 6 years respectively in the year the class begins.
The type of licence matters too. According to ECDA’s guidance on choosing a preschool, an Infant Care Centre (Class A licence) caters to children aged 2 months to 18 months. A Child Care Centre (Class B licence) caters to children from 18 months to below 7 years. A Kindergarten (Class C licence) serves the same age range on a half-day programme.
For parents of children around 18 months, this is the line that matters most. Move from infant care to playgroup and the minimum shifts from 1:5 to 1:8.
Two sets of numbers in the law
Parents are often confused because they see two different sets of ratios quoted. Both are correct. They measure different things.
The first set is the qualified-educator ratio in the table above. It applies during programme hours. The regulations define programme hours as operating hours excluding arrival time before class starts, the wait for pick-up at the end, and rest periods.
The second set covers all operating hours and counts every member of programme staff, which includes assistants and programme helpers, not just the lead qualified educators. Under Regulation 45 of the ECD Centres Regulations 2018, the ratio of programme staff to children must be at least:
1:12 in a playgroup class
1:18 in a pre-nursery class
1:20 in a nursery class
During programme hours, the regulation also requires early years educators at 1:8 (playgroup), 1:12 (pre-nursery) and 1:15 (nursery), which matches the qualified figures above.
For older children, Regulation 46 sets programme staff at 1:25 for K1 and 1:30 for K2 across operating hours, with preschool educators at 1:20 and 1:25 during programme hours.
For infants, Regulation 44 requires at least 1:5 at all times during operating hours. If programme helpers assist, the combined ratio must still be at least 1:5, and there must be at least one infant educator for each helper.
Outdoor play has tighter numbers
One detail many parents miss: when K1 and K2 children play outdoors, Regulation 46(3) requires preschool educators at 1:13 for K1 and 1:15 for K2. At least two adults must supervise the class, and at least one of them must be programme staff. Outdoor time is where children move fastest and spread out, so the rule asks for more eyes.
If you are choosing a preschool with a strong outdoor element, our guide on how to check nature play preschools shows what to look for in the daily routine.
How the ratio is actually counted
The regulations calculate the ratio as the number of relevant staff against the number of children enrolled in that class. Three points follow.
It is enrolment, not attendance. The count uses children enrolled in the class, so a day with a few absences means the real number of children in the room is lower than the figure used in the formula.
Only certain people count. Programme staff means assistant early years educators, assistant preschool educators, early years educators, infant educators, the principal, and programme helpers or preschool educators deployed at the centre. Admin staff and cleaners are not part of the formula.
It applies to a class, not to the centre. A centre-wide average can look comfortable while one toddler room is stretched. The class your child joins is the one that counts.
Minimums versus what happens in practice
These ratios are the legal floor. In a 7 October 2026 reply published by the Ministry of Social and Family Development, the Minister said the requirements are minimums for children’s safety and well-being, and that many operators in practice run at staff-child ratios below these minimums, which means more staff per child, to keep operations flexible.
The same message came in Parliament. On 5 March 2024, the Minister said that licensees must keep to the ratios at all times during operating hours. The operator is expected to take all possible measures to keep children safe, which may include redeploying staff or bringing in relief staff. He also noted that in practice operators can and do run with more staff than required, depending on activities and available manpower.
As reported by The Online Citizen on 6 October 2026, ECDA has said that parents would welcome smaller ratios, but that it is mindful of the effect on manpower demand and on the availability of preschool places. That is why the minimums sit where they do, and why a school’s own staffing choices say more about the daily experience than the legal floor does.
Does Singapore also cap classroom size?
The ratios above are the rules we can point to in the regulations. The way they are written, a class’s size is tied to how many educators the centre deploys, so a class of 24 K1 children can run legally with two adults under the assistant-educator model. Rather than relying on a headline number, ask each school for the actual number of children enrolled in your child’s class and the number of adults who are in the room with them. For centres outside Singapore’s licensed system, such as international schools for school-age children, the figures a school states are its own commitments, so ask for them in writing.
What the ratio means for your child
A ratio is a number. What you care about is how much attention your child gets. ECDA’s Beanstalk parent guide says that with smaller class sizes educators can have quality interactions with each child, observe and plan effectively, tailor teaching to individual strengths and interests, and address challenges early.
Think about what that looks like in a normal morning:
A teacher can notice that a quiet child has not spoken all day, and gently draw them in.
A child who is new to English, which is common among expat families, gets time to try words with an adult rather than only hearing them in a group.
A child who is ready for a harder challenge can be given one.
A child who is upset gets comforted by someone who knows them well.
These are the benefits parents tell us they hope for. If you would like a framework for weighing them, see our parent’s guide to assessing class size benefits and our overview of the benefits of small class sizes for children in Singapore.
Questions to ask on a visit
A visit is your chance to turn the numbers into something real. These questions work at any preschool.
What is the ratio in my child’s class, not the centre average? Ask for the number of children enrolled and the number of adults assigned.
Is there an assistant educator, and is the stated ratio with or without them? The 1:20 and 1+1:25 models are very different rooms.
What happens at the start and end of the day? Arrival and pick-up are outside programme hours, and children are often combined into larger groups.
What is the ratio outdoors? For K1 and K2 the rule is tighter, so ask how the school plans supervised outdoor time.
What happens when a teacher is absent? The regulations expect relief staff or redeployment, so ask how the school does this.
How long have the teachers been here? Familiar faces matter as much as a ratio on paper.
Can I watch a session? Ten minutes in the room shows you more than a brochure.
Our guide to understanding the preschool curriculum in Singapore can help you shape the questions about learning, and the piece on what an international preschool is helps if you are comparing local and international options. If work hours are a worry, see flexible preschool hours in Singapore.
Our perspective on ratios
We think the best learning happens when every child is truly seen and supported. A ratio on a licence tells you the minimum a school must provide. It does not tell you how well a teacher knows your child’s name, their favorite book or the moment they need a little more encouragement. That is why we are a small school by design. At Astor International School, which welcomes children aged 5 to 12 in Tanglin, our classes have a maximum of 20 children and an average of 15. We have been recognized as Best Small School and Best Affordable International School in Singapore, and we hope that tells you something about what small and personal can look like. Our preschool in Holland recently joined the Astor family. It is a small preschool with two playgrounds, where learning moves between the classroom and the outdoors. We would encourage every parent to visit, watch the room, and ask the questions above of every school, ours included. Small groups, nurturing teachers and room for curiosity are what we believe give children confidence. Elena
Visit Astor and see small classes for yourself
If you are a parent in Singapore with a child aged 1.5 to 12, we would love to show you what personalized attention looks like in practice. Our international school offers an inquiry-based curriculum, enrichment in arts, sports and languages, and flexible scheduling designed for expat families. Our Holland preschool shares the same small, caring approach.
You can see our published tuition options, including Option A Flexi Fees at 17,580 SGD per year and Option B Fixed Fees at 23,650 SGD per year, on our fees page. To understand how we teach, explore our curriculum, or get in touch through astor.edu.sg to arrange a visit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the teacher-child ratio for playgroup in Singapore?
For children from 18 months to below 3 years, the minimum qualified educator ratio is 1:8. With an additional assistant educator it becomes 1+1:12, according to ECDA’s FAQ. Across all operating hours, programme staff must be at least 1:12.
Are these ratios the same for every preschool?
The minimums apply to every licensed preschool. Individual centres may staff above them, and the Minister has said many operators do. Ask each school what it does in your child’s class rather than assuming the minimum.
What age does preschool start in Singapore?
Licensed infant care takes children from 2 months, and child care centres take children from 18 months to below 7 years, as ECDA explains. Our guide to school age in Singapore covers the full path through primary.
Is a lower ratio always better?
A lower ratio gives each child more adult attention, which is why we favor small classes. It works best with warm, experienced teachers and a thoughtful daily routine. Look at the ratio and the classroom together.
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