Research on Strategies for Unifying Kindergarten and Childcare Center Teacher Qualifications for Early Childhood Education Integration: Focus on the Singaporean Case

Objectives This study aims to explore strategies for the integration of kindergarten and childcare teacher qualifications proposed by the Yoon Suk-yeol government by examining the current qualification criteria for kindergarten and childcare teachers in South Korea and reviewing the standards for early childhood educator certification in Singapore. Methods Data for this study were obtained from the official websites of South Korea's Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Singapore's Early Childhood and Development Agency (ECDA), and the content was reviewed and feedback was provided by a researcher specializing in early childhood education and care policies and a professor of early childhood education. Results As results of the study, first, there were differences between Kindergarten teacher level 2 and Childcare teacher level 2 in Korea in terms of credits earned and practice period in acquiring certification. Second, Singapore has various types of qualifications, and accordingly, there were differences in the ages of infants and toddlers who could be in charge and the institutions where they could work. Conclusions This research, centered on the Singaporean case, offers a fresh perspective on the amalgamation of qualifications related to kindergarten and childcare center teachers in South Korea. Its significance lies in its pragmatic and well-reasoned contribution to the formulation of integration strategies.