Long-term vision from KinderWorld

KinderWorld’s multi-level system will boost the life-long learning of students of all ages

KinderWorld International Group grew its roots in Singapore in 1986 with the establishment of Changi View Child Care Centre. In 2000, after 14 years of preschool operations experience, KinderWorld made inroads overseas and entered the Vietnamese market following the liberalisation of the country’s enterprise laws.

Riding on the strength of the renowned Singaporean education brand, Ricky Tan established KinderWorld’s first preschool in Ho Chi Minh City, opened by current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The opening ceremony demonstrated a positive step towards forging strong ties between Vietnam and Singapore through education.

Over the last 23 years, under the leadership of Tan, KinderWorld has established 15 KinderWorld International Kindergarten (KIK), Singapore International School (SIS), and Singapore Vietnam International School (SVIS) campuses across eight cities and provinces.

Guided by its philosophy of Eastern values and global education, KinderWorld has been able to take advantage of the world’s increasing internationalisation. With its headquarters in Singapore, a country with strong international ties, connections, and networking, KinderWorld has developed various educational partnerships across the globe.

KinderWorld International Kindergarten offers preschool education for children aged 18 months to 6 years old through the its International and Integrated Programmes. The kindergarten focuses on the well-rounded development of children and prepares them for success at primary schools, setting a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

SIS, meanwhile, offers primary to high school education, also through the International and Integrated programmes for foreign and Vietnamese students. It believes in a holistic approach and providing students with a learning environment to stimulate their minds and develop an inquiring mind. The Singapore curriculum adds rigour to the teaching and delivery of maths and science subjects in the schools.

SIS is committed to continuously ensure the quality of its education programmes through well-known accreditation agencies. Primary school students take the Singapore international Primary School Leaving Examination, while secondary students take the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examinations at the of the primary and secondary school years, respectively. For university foundation, students take the Cambridge International A-Level exams, which prepares students for universities around the world.

Over the years, KinderWorld has consistently produced students for the Cambridge International Examinations at both the IGCSE and Cambridge AS/A Levels.

Strengthening soft skills

SIS ensures that students have the opportunity to develop character and a wide range of soft skills which includes perseverance, resilience, self-confidence, and teamwork by including outdoor experiential learning in the curriculum. These courses are professionally organised and delivered by Outward Bound Vietnam (OBV) in consultation with SIS to ensure students are well-prepared as future global citizens with a keen understanding of the environment.

In May, OBV was awarded with the Adventure Programme Accreditation by the Association for Experiential Education. The achievement highlights OBV as one of the few adventure initiative providers in Asia with the accreditation. The association is a non-profit professional membership association for experiential education with more than 1,700 members from more than 25 countries.

OBV is registered with the Department of Education and Training as an educational institution, offering life-skills programmes in Binh Dinh and Quang Ninh provinces.

Outward Bound was founded in 1941 in Wales and is an international, non-profit, independent outdoor education organisation with presence in more than 38 countries, serving more than 250,000 participants every year. As a member of Outward Bound International, OBV endeavours to inspire social, community, and environmental responsibilities in youths through holistic learning and development while adhering to the highest educational and safety standards of the Outward Bound School network.

As part of KinderWorld’s through-train educational pathway, Pegasus International College was established to provide quality education beyond High School. It offers Vietnamese, ASEAN, and international pathways and qualifications in hospitality, culinary arts, business services, and beyond.

Pegasus offers 3-tiered qualifications which are aligned to national requirements – the Vietnam National Qualification Framework, the Common ASEAN Tourism Curriculum, and the transnational Australia Qualification Framework – which articulates to undergraduate programmes with internationally recognised universities.

Since 2011, Pegasus has enrolled over 22,500 students from various countries such as the US, Bangladesh, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, and Nepal for its Australian 2-year Advanced Diploma initiative and other occupational training courses. Pegasus’ position as a premium provider of quality hospitality training is also demonstrated through key strategic partnerships with various 4-star and 5-star hotels and resorts across Vietnam.

OBV continues to inspire social and environmental responsibility in young people

Homecoming strategy

Meanwhile, the acquisition of SDH Institute, a hotel management school for high-quality education in hospitality management diploma and degree courses in Singapore, creates new opportunities for KinderWorld to re-establish its presence in the education sector. This will take place via partnerships with Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School in France, the University of West London, and Northern Arizona University.

The acquisition will provide synergy as Singapore continues as the group’s business headquarters and key engine of growth, while positioning the group for expansion in the region.

The strategy of re-establishing the business in Singapore brings new prospects for the group, in particular to grow the post-secondary segment that include tertiary education and professional courses, to establish youth leadership networks and exchange platforms, and to develop strategic partnerships in ASEAN and beyond.

Together with Pegasus International College in Vietnam, SDH Institute will provide the highest quality programmes and academic pathways for hospitality and aviation students, with new courses to be developed. Academic programmes offer national, ASEAN, and international pathways with qualifications in hospitality, tourism, culinary arts, and business and commerce courses aligned to Pegasus UniCollege in Brisbane. This allows its associated colleges to conduct Australian Qualifications Framework programmes overseas.

Following the acquisition, a rebranding exercise has recently been completed to integrate SDH Institute with KinderWorld. With the approval from the Committee for Private Education, the new name of SISH Institute was born. This transformation was driven by the vision to broaden educational offerings and cater to a wider range of students.

In addition to the existing hospitality and aviation programmes, KinderWorld has also announced the inclusion of the Cambridge academic curriculum and subjects for students aged 13-18. This expansion reflects a commitment to fostering well-rounded individuals and equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to become leaders of tomorrow.

Over the next five years, KinderWorld also aims to establish three Smart EduHubs in the east, west, and central regions of Singapore.

Sustaining mutual growth through new networks Vietnam and Singapore are intensifying their bilateral ties in new fields with focus set on innovation, energy, and sustainability. Jaya Ratnam, Singaporean Ambassador to Vietnam, provides analysis on how this cooperation has been implemented and benefited the two countries.