PART 2 | Application for or to renew licence |
3.—(1) For the purposes of section 7(2)(b) of the Act, the application fee for an application for the grant of or to renew a licence is as specified in the Second Schedule.| (2) An application to renew a licence authorising the operation of a centre must be made no later than one month before the expiry of the licence (called in this regulation the renewal deadline). |
| (3) For the purposes of section 7(4)(b) of the Act, where an application to renew a licence is made later than the renewal deadline, the late renewal application fee is as specified in the Second Schedule. |
(4) An application for a licence or renewal of a licence must be accompanied by —| (a) | a statement setting out the centre’s daily operating hours and the following periods of operation in a year:| (i) | the periods during which the centre provides early childhood development services; | | (ii) | the periods during which the centre does not provide any early childhood development service but is not closed; | | (iii) | the periods during which the centre is closed; |
| | (b) | a programme statement specifying the following:| (i) | the class of licence that the applicant is applying for; | | (ii) | the classes that are conducted at the centre, and the age of the children attending each class; | | (iii) | the licensee’s philosophy of care and education; | | (iv) | the daily programme schedule of the centre that satisfies the condition in paragraph (5); | | (v) | whether any early childhood development service, other than the conduct of the classes mentioned in sub‑paragraph (ii) is provided at the centre, and if so, a description of such service; | | (vi) | the policies and guidelines on managing the behaviour of children; | | (vii) | the procedure on —| (A) | the registration of children at the centre; | | (B) | the enrolment of children for each class at the centre; and | | (C) | the withdrawal of children from the centre; |
| | (viii) | the procedure for the collection and refund of all deposits that are made for the enrolment of a child at the centre; | | (ix) | the procedure for handling illnesses, including daily temperature and health checks conducted on children, serious incidents and emergencies involving children; | | (x) | the processes for —| (A) | promoting the health and welfare of children, including first-aid practices; | | (B) | ensuring the safety of children; and | | (C) | maintaining a good standard of hygiene of the centre and its practices; |
| | (xi) | where the licensee provides services to transport the children who attend at the licensee’s centre, the procedure and arrangement for the transportation of the children; | | (xii) | the procedure for obtaining parental permission for the children’s participation in excursions and other activities outside the centre; | | (xiii) | the procedure for carrying out a closure of the centre; | | (xiv) | the written menus of the food which will be served to the children attending at the centre; and |
| | (c) | a breakdown of the fees and incidental charges mentioned in paragraph (6) that are payable for a child who is enrolled in the centre. |
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(5) For the purposes of paragraph (4)(b)(iv), the daily programme schedule of a centre must include the following:| (a) | the periods for assembling and dismissing the children; | | (b) | the periods for group and individual activities; | | (c) | the periods for activities designed to promote gross and fine motor, cognitive, social and emotional development; | | (d) | the periods for structured and free play; | | (e) | the periods for meals and snacks; | | (f) | where the centre provides full‑day services —| (i) | the periods for rest; and | | (ii) | the periods for routine care. |
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(6) For the purposes of paragraph (4)(c), the fees and incidental charges comprise all of the following:| (a) | registration fees and programme fees; | | (b) | any deposit that is to be made for the enrolment of a child; | | (c) | the incidental charges for the following:| (i) | uniform and any other attire; | | (ii) | insurance coverage for a child who is enrolled in the centre; | | (iii) | transporting a child from his or her home to the centre, or from the centre to his or her home, or both; | | (iv) | attending field trips and excursions outside the centre, including the cost of meals for the child and the cost of transporting a child to the venue of such field trips and excursions; | | (v) | participating in concerts organised by the licensee, including graduation ceremonies; | | (vi) | photographs and videos taken of the centre’s children and events; | | (vii) | maintaining online communication tools and systems between the licensee and the parent or guardian of a child; | | (viii) | enrichment programmes; | | (ix) | e-learning materials; | | (x) | where the centre provides half‑day services —| (A) | readers, academic materials, stationery, school bags and folders and art and musical materials used in providing those services; and | | (B) | meals that are provided to children; |
| | (xi) | where the centre is a full‑day service centre, use of a mattress, mattress cover or stack cot; | | (xii) | where the centre conducts any infant class, the diapers, nappy rash cream, milk bottle, milk powder, cot bedding and any other item which may be consumed or used by a child. |
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(7) In this regulation —| “art and musical material” means material that is used to cultivate a child’s interest in art, music or dance, or to reinforce a child’s interest in art, music or dance; |
| “period for routine care” includes a period during which the children are being showered and toilet trained; |
“philosophy of care and education” means —| (a) | the central ideas —| (i) | on which a stimulating, holistic and developmentally‑appropriate early childhood development programme and curriculum of a centre are developed and applied; and | | (ii) | that support and promote the learning, development and wellbeing of children; and |
| | (b) | the goals and objectives of the programme and curriculum mentioned in paragraph (a)(i); |
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| “readers” means materials that are used to teach a child how to read or to cultivate reading habits in a child. |
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| 4. [Deleted by S 902/2022 wef 30/11/2022] |
| Grant or renewal of licence |
5.—(1) For the purposes of section 8(3)(c)(iii) of the Act, the offences are as specified in the Third Schedule.| (2) For the purposes of section 8(3)(d) of the Act, the period is 36 months immediately before an application for a licence is made. |
| (3) For the purposes of section 8(3)(i)(ii) of the Act, the building structure, fire safety, public health and sanitation requirements are as specified in the Fourth Schedule. |
(4) For the purposes of section 8(3)(j) of the Act, the types and content of the curriculum or programme for early childhood development centres must —| (a) | be stimulating, holistic and developmentally‑appropriate; and | | (b) | support and promote the learning, development and wellbeing of children. |
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6. For the purposes of section 9(1) of the Act, the classes of licences are as follows:| (a) | Class A licence, being a licence to operate a centre that provides half‑day services or full‑day services, or both, where such services comprise the conduct of infant class; | | (b) | Class B licence, being a licence to operate a centre that provides full‑day services which comprise the conduct of all or any of the following classes:| (i) | playgroup class; | | (ii) | pre-nursery class; | | (iii) | nursery class; | | (iv) | kindergarten 1 class; | | (v) | kindergarten 2 class; |
| | (c) | Class C licence, being a licence to operate a centre that provides half-day services which comprise the conduct of all or any of the following classes:| (i) | playgroup class; | | (ii) | pre-nursery class; | | (iii) | nursery class; | | (iv) | kindergarten 1 class; | | (v) | kindergarten 2 class. |
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7.—(1) An application for the Chief Licensing Officer’s approval to transfer a licence must be made before the expiry of the licence, but no later than 3 months before the intended transfer of the licence.(2) For the purposes of section 13(7) of the Act, the other matters that the Chief Licensing Officer must consider in deciding whether to approve the transfer of a licence are as follows:| (a) | whether as at the date of the application for approval to transfer a licence, the remaining period for which the licence is valid is at least 7 months; | | (b) | whether the licensee has been required to rectify any non‑compliance with the Act, and if so, whether the licensee has rectified such non-compliance; | | (c) | the licensee’s compliance history with the requirements of the Act, the repealed Act, the Education Act (Cap. 87), and any regulations made under any of those Acts; | | (d) | whether the Chief Licensing Officer had previously, in lieu of revoking the licensee’s licence, taken one or more actions mentioned in section 16(2) of the Act in relation to the licensee; | | (e) | whether the licensee or any of its key appointment holders is undergoing any investigation for an offence under the Act or any other Act; | | (f) | whether the licensee has appealed against a decision of the Chief Licensing Officer under section 43 of the Act, and if so, whether the appeal has been determined; | | (g) | whether the intended transferee has the capacity to ensure the continuity of care and education of the children of the centre concerned; | | (h) | the matters mentioned in section 8(3)(a) to (k) of the Act (read with section 8(5) of the Act) except that every reference to the applicant is read as a reference to the intended transferee. |
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| Voluntary cessation of operation or surrender of licence |
| 8. For the purposes of subsection (2) of section 14 of the Act, any notice required by section 14(1) of the Act must be made to the Chief Licensing Officer no later than 6 months before the applicable date in that subsection. |
| 9. For the purposes of section 15(1)(d) of the Act, if no child is enrolled in a centre for a continuous period of 3 months after the issue of the licence in respect of that centre, the licence lapses at the end of that period. |
| Maximum period by which licence term may be shortened |
| 10. For the purposes of section 16(2)(f) of the Act, the maximum period by which the term of a licence may be shortened is computed using the formula A – 1, where A is the term of the licence in terms of months. [S 484/2022 wef 01/07/2022] |
| Directions when licence expires, etc. |
| 11. For the purposes of section 18(4)(f) of the Act, the Chief Licensing Officer may give a direction that the licensee must submit, within 3 months after the cessation of an affected centre’s operation, such audited statement of subsidy as may be required by the Chief Licensing Officer. |
| Disqualification of key appointment holders |
12.—(1) For the purposes of section 19(1)(c) of the Act, the offences are as specified in the Third Schedule.| (2) For the purposes of section 19(1)(h) of the Act, the prescribed criteria are as specified in the Fifth Schedule. |
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