There was a sense of home as we stepped into the cosily furnished parents’ waiting area at EtonHouse Mountbatten 718. Ms Victoria Newman, EtonHouse Mountbatten 718’s Pre-School Director, explained that the School understands the anxiety felt by parents when leaving their children in pre-school for the first time. “We put tea, coffee and magazines here, and the parents are invited to come and wait here for a while so that we can keep them informed as to how their child is doing during the day. As the time goes on and they get to know other new families, they will often move to somewhere else close by and there is a point when they can feel comfortable leaving their child.”

Next to the waiting area was the School’s recycling corner, which was decorated with various recycled materials. The corner is very popular with students who enjoy finding things to create there. It also “changes every day”, said Ms Newman. “Teachers spend a lot of time thinking about the space, and it’s exciting for the children to come and see what’s been brought in. The School values the environment and recycling, and wants to inculcate this same spirit in its students, too.”

Parents are encouraged to drop off items for recycling with their children. Indeed, one of the School’s aims is to make parents feel included as well. “We place value on our parents being part of our community,” Ms Newman said.

The School produces a series of newsletters to keep parents informed of their children’s learning. “Every fortnight, the Core Teacher in the classroom writes a newsletter,” said Ms Newman. “In between, the Associate Teacher will compile a picture newsletter. The idea is that parents can look at it at home, and ask their children to explain what’s happening in it, so it encourages the children to share their learning with parents at home.” The newsletters also contain some Mandarin content written by the School’s Mandarin teachers. “This is to share the children’s inquiries through Mandarin, but we provide translations so that the parents can access these thoughts.”

The importance of Mandarin continues to spread across the globe, and Mrs Ng Gim Choo, Founder and Managing Director of the EtonHouse International Education Group, understands all too well the importance of having a bilingual education even at the pre-school level. “This School puts an emphasis on bilingualism, so every class has a core English teacher, a Chinese teacher from China, and a local Associate Teacher,” Mrs Ng said.

“They basically come from three different countries, and they all have degrees or diplomas in Early Childhood Education. Traditionally, Mandarin is taught in a separate two-hour slot on the timetable. But for us the language is integrated. The Mandarin teacher will be in the classroom, and he or she will have very good rapport with the students, so it makes learning easier. They will also understand how the children learn and the English lessons they go through, and then they’ll be able to teach better. We find that the learning is more effective because it is integrated.”

But lessons do not just take place in the classroom. The dining area — a non-enclosed canteen — exemplifies this. “All the children will have their meals in this area,” said Ms Newman, “from the youngest at 18 months old to the oldest at six years old, but it is also a place where they can explore Mathematics and learn to be independent. The children will come in, take a cup, a plate, a bowl, a spoon, and whatever else they need. They’ll set the table for their friends, do lots of counting, get the food, and place the food on the table, and then their friends will come and they will start to serve themselves food, so there’s a high level of independence, which the children absolutely love. For them, this is a wonderful time. They’re talking, sharing their thinking, and being independent. This is why they’re here. All the children know how to access this area.”

Inquire, Think, Learn

The inculcation of independence and EtonHouse’s

Inquire-Think-Learn curriculum approach can be seen throughout the School. Learning happens wherever children are able to explore and inquire.

We were led out of the dining area and shown the spice garden that was next to it. Pointing to the basil leaves and chilli plants, Ms Newman told us that the children grow the spices themselves, and that the responsibility of care was theirs too. “Over time, the children will forget to tend to the plants, and weeds will develop as a result. We purposely leave the weeds there so that they can learn about caring for plants.”

“Teachers are also encouraged to use the outside spaces as classrooms. There will be times when the children come out just to play freely with their friends but at other times, they will come out in small groups to do some reading together, tell a story, or even explore the garden. We’re really keen that children learn both inside and outside the classroom, that they know the other areas in the School and can access them,” Ms Newman added.

In addition, children are encouraged to participate in local communities outside of the School, and EtonHouse works closely with several of them to facilitate this. “We use our local community a lot. We’ve had swimming lessons in the pool across the road, we’ve had an on-going relationship with the ceramics studio which we’ve worked with very closely, sending clay over to be fired, and the children have been over to visit them. Our local community’s really important so the children should become familiar with it, and not just the School,” said Ms Newman.

We were later led to a sheltered area, where a Physical Education class was in progress. Although it was apparent that the children were enjoying themselves, it was a learning session for them too. “When they’re together in this sort of engagement, they’re exploring teamwork, collaboration, listening skills, cooperation, and all of these are very important to the overall approach we have,” said Ms Newman.

Going indoors, we were taken into a “virtual forest” — a little space beneath a flight of stairs with faux vegetation imaginatively constructed from simple craft materials, plastic screens, lemon grass, and a projector. Surprisingly, however, it wasn’t the teachers but the children who had conceived of it. “This was the children’s idea. They requested the space under these stairs. It used to have some furniture, but they wanted to explore it, so they created their own forest. This is part of their own inquiry — they chose the images they wanted to put on from the Internet, did their planning, and then with our art experts — they started to build their own forest.”

The classroom upstairs that we were shown next was no less brimming with creativity. Belonging to the same group of children responsible for the “virtual forest” downstairs, the room contained more than just their homework. To one side, a board displayed the children’s thoughts, expressed in both words and pictures, and Ms Newman emphasised that these were not finished products, but rather that they grew over time and changed with the children’s inquiry.

Inquiry-based learning is certainly an important feature of EtonHouse’s curriculum. Nearby were shelves of various resources and objects, which the children use to explore counting and symmetry. “You can see it’s a very literacy-rich environment, you can see all the different learning taking place through inquiry. We don’t teach subjects singularly — it’s all through the inquiry. It’s important that they find out the answer themselves, with our support. We don’t just give the children the answer,” said Ms Newman.

A constant fragrance within the room had a very calming effect, and this was important for the learning process too, according to Ms Newman. “It’s really important that it’s natural and calm, because children spend their whole day here. If we put too much colour into the room, it becomes very distracting.”

Nor is creative, inquiry-based learning confined to just Mathematics and Science. Leaving the building to go outside again we saw another class in which the youngest children were being given free rein to paint whatever they liked. “These are the youngest children exploring paint, and it’s important they explore it without adult intervention all the time, that they can just be free to move the brush,” said Ms Newman.

As our tour progressed, we were introduced to other learning aids. One which stood out was what Ms Newman called a “light area”. Originally another dining room, it had been re-fashioned into a space for children to explore the properties of light in their own time. “We provide opportunities for a lot of exploration with light. Light is very powerful for children.”

Another learning opportunity was shown to us when we arrived at our third classroom. Near the entrance was a shelf, on which stood jars containing strips of rolled-up paper. “It’s called the ‘I Can’ jar. In it, they’ll put a little note saying the things they can do, so over the year, as they are able to do more, they’ll write more notes and put them in. At the beginning of the year, there’s not very much in there, but as the year goes on there will be,” explained Ms Newman.

Ms Susannah McGuire, Assistant Principal of EtonHouse Mountbatten 718, who was with the group at the time, added, “Some of them are just beginning to learn to write, so there’s some phonetic and inventive spelling, but as the year goes on, it becomes conventional.

“It allows us to discover more about their development.”

The Reggio Emilia Approach

EtonHouse’s Inquire-Think-Learn approach is not a new concept. At the end of our tour we were led into a smaller room where we were joined by Ms Germaine Chow, a teacher at EtonHouse Mountbatten 718 who holds a degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Warwick. Along with Ms McGuire, Ms Chow went to Italy to learn more about the Reggio Emilia Approach.

Started by the late Loris Malaguzzi in the aftermath of the Second World War, the Approach is based on the belief that children are naturally capable inquirers who actively construct their world, and are not just passive receptacles for knowledge.

According to both Ms Chow and Mrs Ng, the Reggio Emilia Approach quickly became a guiding inspiration for how things are done at EtonHouse. “The basis of it all is the image of the child. We really think that children are competent and capable, so rather than teaching them and giving them knowledge, the role of the teacher changes, so you’re like partners in learning. If you look around EtonHouse, you’ll see that the child and the teacher work alongside each other,” Ms Chow elaborated.

“The literacy and numeracy becomes so rich and so meaningful when they’re interested in it,” said Ms Chow. “For example, in my class someone brought in a water bottle, and then the whole conversation became about how much volume was in there, and who had the biggest water bottle. Now they are using beakers and measuring for a real purpose, and they are starting to measure rainwater as well. The numeracy comes in really naturally when you sit back and listen to the children because it’s all in there. It’s so much more meaningful for them.”

Working with others is also part of the Reggio Emilia Approach. “They [Reggio Emilia schools] have so much collaboration with the community and with parents. It’s a lot about the child’s relationships with peers and adults,” said Ms Chow. “The environment plays a very important part.”

“It is important to believe in the child,” added Mrs Ng. “Not thinking of children as incapable and helpless, and instead giving them additional responsibilities, supporting, developing and guiding them along the way will actually have the positive effect of fostering their confidence, so that they will also take ownership of themselves.”

Ms Chow felt that having worked with the oldest children for the last three years she has personally been able to observe this independence. One example that she cited was the children conducting their own negotiations with a local printing business at Katong Shopping Centre.

Another aspect EtonHouse has adopted from the Reggio Emilia Approach is the profiling of its students. The teachers carry notebooks and cameras with them all the time, and this forms part of an on-going process to document the activities and progress of the children. Parents are also able to access their children’s portfolios to stay updated on their progress.

The Reggio Emilia Approach is even influential when it comes to toys. As a result, a lot of EtonHouse’s toys are actually items from the natural environment, to provide a tactile richness for the children. “A child knows what plastic feels like, but when you give them a tree leaf, a piece of its bark, a branch, that texture is so much richer, so even at a very young age these materials are given to the children so that it becomes a language for them. It’s a rich environment for them to grow up in,” said Ms Chow.

“It’s the spirit, values and philosophy of the Reggio Emilia Approach, and I think we’ve adapted that quite well to our context,” she added.

How does EtonHouse’s philosophy differ from the Reggio Emilia Approach then?

“First of all, Reggio Emilia schools are monolingual,” said Mrs Ng. “The children there learn Italian, there’s no second language. Secondly, they have only about 60 children in their schools. We have 200. So, we run a centre that has 200 children, our children are multicultural, and they have to learn a second language.”

The Road Ahead— Challenges and Plans

EtonHouse International Pre-School has just opened its new campus this year at 223 Mountbatten Road. At 20,000 square foot it will be one of the largest pre-schools in Singapore, but it will be an indoor campus. The reason, for Mrs Ng, is a simple one: the high rental cost of any available land.

“There is less and less space available. We have to learn to create more supply, make sites available,” said Mrs Ng. “Right now we are pressurised with a shortage of sites, yet so many people are chasing for one. This pushes the rental up.”

Rental costs and the availability of sites are not the only problems for the early childhood sector, as pre-school teachers tend to be in short supply too. Unfortunately, the image of this profession is often a negative one, particularly when it is compared with educators working in other levels. “It’s more difficult than teaching in the tertiary level,” said Mrs Ng. “For young children, the teachers have to settle their emotional and psychological needs. They have to handle them, making sure they’re emotionally secure… So there’s a lot of work involved.”

One interesting fact that Mrs Ng shared was the results of a small survey she carried out to study the retention factors for the School’s teachers. After collating them it turned out that “Professional Development” was chosen as the most important factor, followed by “Leadership” and “Working Environment”. Only then did “Pay” come in.

“We focus a lot on professional development, which is so important. The teachers never stop learning, and that’s how it should be,” said Ms Chow. Yet, the recruitment of teachers has not always been smooth-sailing for EtonHouse. In the School’s first years, Mrs Ng told us that not all the teachers were convinced by the Reggio Emilia Approach, and that some ended up leaving. Undaunted, though, EtonHouse remains committed to finding more innovative ways to approach early childhood education.

EtonHouse, which has campuses in nine different countries, also continues to come up with new ways to enhance its students’ learning experience. One of these initiatives will see its students in Singapore visit its branches in China.

“EtonHouse has a strong base in China with several schools in key cities there. When children go for such trips, what they learn is exponential. In the company of their peers and adults, they can completely immerse themselves in a different cultural context and learn much from interacting with children from diverse backgrounds. Not only do they learn about different cultures, traditions and the historical perspectives of different cities, they also appreciate differences and learn to respect people who may look and sound different. Such skills are very important in developing international mindedness amongst children. We hope to organise such trips soon. We have already had our students from China visit our schools in Singapore where they learnt much in the multicultural environment that we have here,” elaborated Mrs Ng.

The EtonHouse Alumni Club

And young as its students may be, EtonHouse has set up a club for its alumni and their parents. Its purpose is to bring together former EtonHouse parents, students and staff and create opportunities to bond and engage in meaningful community initiatives. It not only aims to extend the outreach activities of the EtonHouse community through a range of charitable events but it also allows its members to network with one another.

“We believe that learning happens in collaboration within the context of peers, adults and the immediate social and cultural environment. The school community has a very strong influence on the way children learn and the connections made in the first years of learning shape their experiences thereafter. We wanted to extend this feeling of community to a lifelong connection and a sense of belonging to the immediate and extended EtonHouse family. At present it is the only pre-school alumni club of its kind. Since some of our alumni are very young children, their parents have become active contributors and supporters of our alumni initiatives,” said Mrs Ng.

There are currently 300 members in the EtonHouse Alumni Club who keep in touch with one another on the digital platform. The youngest members are seven years old.

Club members regularly share news and stories of interest, and meet up with each other during EtonHouse events. At the first of these they put up a performance, ran food stalls and organised origami activities. Some of them also shared their experiences at EtonHouse and related how these had helped them after they graduated.

Moving forward, the alumni hope to initiate and strengthen community-based initiatives on a sustained basis so as to extend the EtonHouse spirit of social and environmental responsibility. But of all its upcoming events the one that everyone is probably looking forward to the most is the Grand Reunion in 2015, when EtonHouse will celebrate its twentieth anniversary.
 

校长维多利亚·纽曼向《新学》新加坡教育双语双月刊记者表示：“环境是重要的导师，我们鼓励教师多利用课室外的空间教学。周围环境的一树一木、一花一草、一人一事，或一桌一椅，都是教材，都能让学生从中学习。我们不希望孩子只是困在课室内，我们要他们多接触四周，引发起好奇心。我们也绝不限制孩子发问。”

伊顿国际学校创办人兼董事长胡锦珠一同接受《新学》采访。她说，创办伊顿幼儿园的动力来自旅居伦敦的经验。当时她注意到原本不爱上学的女儿到了伦敦变得喜欢上课，这促使她回到新加坡创建一个非一般的伊顿幼儿园。

胡锦珠指出伊顿的特色是重视环境教学。当天她带记者参观位于蒙巴顿路718号的伊顿国际幼儿园原是一栋老旧的洋房，管理层花了170多万装潢整顿，如今已是一个清幽雅静、简洁舒适，处处可学习的幼儿天地。在占地3万平方尺的校园里，设有环保手工展览区、灯光实验区、植物园，上下楼梯的小空间开辟成为让学生用电脑和投影机设备，按学习题材而映射出不同画面的影像角落。

纽曼也介绍了家长专区，她说：“开学时许多孩子要离开父母，进入课室会嚎啕大哭，家长因此也心慌意乱，所以，在校园里设立家长专区是很有必要。我们为他们准备咖啡、茶以及杂志，让他们安坐等待孩子下课，教师会随时向他们汇报孩子的进展，让他们感觉安心。”

受瑞吉欧教学启发 重视环境教学

伊顿幼儿园自己编写以

“探究、思考和学习”为重心的课程纲要，这个以探索为基础的教育是受瑞吉欧教学法（Reggio Emilia approach）启发。世界知名的瑞吉欧教学法曾被美国《新闻周刊》誉为世界十大最好的学前教育法，它源自意大利北部一个叫瑞吉欧的小城。其教学特色是重视小孩的好奇心与创意，把孩子定位为学习的主导者，教师只是扮演伙伴与辅助角色。

伊顿幼儿园按照瑞吉欧教学的原则来设计课程和教具。瑞吉欧教学法把自然环境融入教学，伊顿幼儿园也用天然材料教学。纽曼举例说：“环境是第三位教师，也是学生学习的最佳素材，我们课室内的家具因此多是木制的，孩子用的教材玩具，颜色也偏向自然，这样的环境能让孩子感觉温暖和平静。孩子从早上9点到下午3点，长时间在学校上课，给他们一个感觉舒适的校园很重要。用太多缤纷亮丽的色彩容易让孩子分心，这是我们特别关注的。孩子如果需要色彩，他们可以随时发挥创意，添加自己的设计。”

校园内的餐厅也是“环境课室”。它让18个月到6岁的孩子共用，孩子们负责摆设餐具、分派食物。纽曼说：“学生通过用餐，自行学会社交以及大胆尝试新食物。他们自己去拿碗、杯子、汤匙叉子等餐具，布置好餐桌，招待同学用餐。这同时也是学习数学的时间，因为端上食物必须先计算要多少餐具。年龄较小的孩子需要辅助，高班的孩子基本上都可以自己料理。”

胡锦珠说：“瑞吉欧教学法不使用塑料玩具，所以我们用大自然的树叶、树枝、树干和花草为教材。孩子在户外活动，会发现许多新奇的事物、产生许多疑问。”

当天正好有一群学生在两个教师的带领下，到附近的公园上有关发现和探究的课。他们先探索在校园内的各种植物和昆虫，过后再到校外找更多资料。纽曼说：“我们充分利用社区的资源。游泳课是在对面的游泳池上，我们也和附近的陶瓷工作室密切来往，孩子的陶瓷作品都送过去那里烧，也去参观。我们认为学生不仅要认识校园，也要了解周遭的社区环境。”

今年4月中被派到瑞吉欧考察的教师周绮欣当天也和学生进行户外教学。她毕业自英国华威大学学前教育系并拥有硕士学位，她认为从互动教学可以观察孩子是否对学习题材感兴趣，孩子的学习能力其实很强。在伊顿幼儿园任教三年，她充分体会孩子的进展。“孩子的看法很宏观。例如刚举办的展览会由孩子自己设计展场，他们为了降低印刷费还到邻近的加东购物中心去和印刷公司老板讨价还价。”

担任学前教育教师，周绮欣非常有满足感。她说：“我觉得孩子们很有潜力，什么都能做。我来这里不像是在教书，而是来跟孩子们一起学习，每天都有新鲜感。”

学前教育是为未来打基础，而不是为小一做准备

“童年是奠定人生基础的关键时期，所以学前教育是为未来打基础，而不是为小一课程做准备。”

胡锦珠说，已有许多研究证实“以游戏为主”的学习是让孩子学习的最有效方法，世界上有越来越多教育专家和政府支持这个理论。研究指出高素质的学前教育可以确保孩子成为成功的人，有更好的学术表现、更高的毕业率以及更低的辍学率。优质的学前教育让孩子学会处理人际关系，建立良好的社交和情绪能力。这些研究理论很重要，李显龙总理在去年的国庆群众大会上也同意这个观点。

所谓“从游戏中学习”，不是放任小孩，而是精心安排。她说：“我们教师设计的游戏内容丰富，而且有启发性。让孩子在游戏过程中汲取知识。同时，也鼓励孩子在与同学及师长的互动中，学会合作、协调、思考及启发创意。”

小孩有无限的能力

瑞吉欧教学理念的创始人马拉古兹(Loris Malaguzzi)相信孩子不是无助和被动的学习者，他们可以积极参与建构知识。胡锦珠说：“只要以为小孩是无知者和弱者，什么都不懂，父母和教师就会帮他们做很多事情。反之，只要相信他们的能力无限，教师只是从旁支援的辅助者，我们会很惊讶发现，原来小孩有无限的能力。这个信念能让孩子建立自信心并负责任。”

伊顿幼儿园高年级的班级放了一些叫 “我可以”的瓶子，孩子在字条上写了可以做的事情，放进瓶子。开学时瓶子是空空的，随着孩子觉得自己可以做的事情增多，瓶子也逐渐塞满了字条。一张写的是“我会帮忙”、“我可以交新朋友”，“我可以阅读、思考、写字、聆听朋友的分享以及打扮得好看。”

从成人的角度看字条上所写的事情或许微不足道，但它反映出孩子觉得最重要和最关心的事情。胡锦珠认为：“从中可以看到孩子的无限潜力。所以，相较于教学，我们更重视学习；相较于教师，我们更重视学生。如果只着重教学，学校很容易变成只管教学程序而忽略了孩子的学习过程。我们从孩子的需求出发，聆听他们的声音，了解他们的兴趣，从中规划课程内容。我们也致力为每个孩子仔细记录他们的学习成长过程。”

伊顿幼儿园是瑞吉欧联盟在亚洲的代表。胡锦珠表示“我们每年派教师到瑞吉欧进修。去年我们举办了瑞吉欧研讨会，明年我们计划配合一个语文展览，邀请瑞吉欧的学者来新加坡交流。”

重视双语教学，提供三种第二语文

胡锦珠非常重视母语教学，幼儿班每班有四名教师，幼稚园每班有三名教师：来自讲英语国家的英文教师和来自中国华文教师各一名，另加一名新加坡籍教师。她说：“母语非常重要，我们的双语教学是两位教师在班上同时教学。我们的华文教师来自中国北方，能说标准华语。许多美国和印度家长告诉我，‘我这一代可以不会华文，到了孩子那一代，要在亚洲生活就必须懂华文。’

“蒙巴顿路718号的伊顿国际幼儿园的第二语文是华文，另外有两所分校提供日文为第二语文。有一个时期，我们曾经有马来文，因需求不多而停办了。我们东部分校有越来越多来自北印度的学生，我问这些孩子周末做些什么，他们说必须去上兴都文课。记得以前住在伦敦，孩子周末去上华文课，都讨厌极了。于是我就跟家长说，学校会开兴都文课，不必让孩子星期天去校外学母语，孩子们都不喜欢周末上课。而且周末很重要，是家长和孩子在一起的好时光。”

为了把华文学好，校方计划安排学生到中国的伊顿分校交流，通过文化浸濡活动以及和当地学生的互动，认识中国的社会文化。来自中国分校的学生已到新加坡参观访问，了解新加坡的多元社会环境。

加强研究

伊顿幼儿园也设立了学前教育研究中心，胡锦珠表示向来学前教育研究和理论主要来自西方，伊顿幼儿园希望可以从新加坡和亚洲的角度出发，探讨新加坡或亚洲的孩子如何学习才能达到最好效果。“当年我提出推行双语教学，有个教育专家反对，他说不能过早让孩子学双语，英国是到了小学三年级才让学生多学另一种语文。我坚持要试行一个学期，成果让大家很满意，双语教学于是就成了我们幼儿园的特色了。”

第一个拥有校友会的学前教育中心

伊顿校友会是2012年初，由一名毕业生家长倡议，获得许多家长和学校管理层的支持成立的。校友会年龄最小的会员仅有7岁。

伊顿成立校友会的目的是通过互联网分享最新学校动态以及举办校友聚会，来提供一个让校友、家长和教职员联系和互相支援的平台。由于校友的年龄尚小，校友会的活动主要还是由家长推动。

胡锦珠指出，同学之间以及和家长、教师等成人之间的交流合作，加上彼此不同的社会文化背境，是让孩子学习的好环境。“我们相信学校社群对孩子的影响深远，这个时期建立的关系和学习经验对未来成长能产生重要影响。我们希望延伸学校重视环境教学的文化和认同感，让更多学生和家长可以参与这个紧密联系。”

校友会去年11月举办了首次聚会，学生和家长呈献了许多表演，也分享他们在伊顿学习的经验。校友会未来计划不定期举办各分校的校友聚会，出版会刊以联系居住海外的校友。2015年还将配合伊顿幼儿园20周年纪念，举办一个盛大的校友聚会。

困难一：找优良教师不容易

优良教师不足，一直让胡锦珠感到困扰。她认为要解决学前教育的教师问题，必须整体提高幼师的专业地位和形象，改善待遇以及大幅度允许业者聘请外国教师。

她说，1995年成立时，伊顿幼儿园必须从外国聘请教师，根本无法在新加坡找到足够的合格教师。虽然如今新加坡学前教育蓬勃发展，有更多人加入这个行业，校方还是面对合格教师难寻，尤其是华文教师不足，以及留不住人才的问题。

她指出，新加坡严重缺乏优秀的华文教师，短期内仍得从中国招聘。“我希望在新加坡有能力培训足够的合格教师前，政府可以让我们继续从外国聘请教师。”

至于如何招聘好教师，胡锦珠表示学校只要建立口碑，就会吸引好教师。英国华威大学毕业的周绮欣正是被伊顿幼儿园的教学理念吸引而加入。

困难二：成本高昂

伊顿国际幼儿园收费比教育部明年开办的幼稚园高出10倍。胡锦珠解释高收费的原因：“伊顿在新加坡有12所分校，学生由61个国籍组成。我们以提供国际水平的学前教育作为标杆，为学生营造一个国际性的学习环境。我们的师生比例低，加上几乎所有教师都是大学毕业生，或正在修读大学学士学位。”

胡锦珠表示，借助日本和韩国善于利用空间的经验， 今年5月开办的蒙巴顿路223号分校是伊顿国际幼儿园在新加坡第一所设立在办公大楼的分校，这所室内面积2万平方尺的学前教育中心也是新加坡最大的一所。

在办公大楼设立幼儿园是新加坡伊顿管理层的新尝试，这是应对有地住宅供不应求的解决方案。胡锦珠指出作为私营的学前教育业者，很难找到合适地点，加上激烈竞标而导致租金飙涨，以致新加坡的租金普遍呈现不健康的现象。 她吁请政府保留合适地点给学前教育业者使用。

为幼儿园找合适地点，她认为中国政府的做法可以参考：“中国政府规定所有建筑发展商必须拨地兴建幼儿园和学校。我们在中国的分校都是接到发展商的邀请去开办的。开放更多合适的地点给业者，也可以缓和租金高涨的问题。”

投身学前教育是回馈社会的最好方法

儿女已经长大，计划四、五年后退休的胡锦珠对幼儿教育感情深厚。

她说：“我是通过致力发展学前教育来回馈社会。一个小孩在伊顿幼儿园成长，就是我们的教育。伊顿毕业生升上小学，经历了很大的蜕变。看着每个孩子的成长，让我很有满足感。每当看到孩子们求知若渴的眼睛，多少艰辛也可以抛诸脑后。当日改建蒙巴顿路718号这栋房子成为校舍时，为了配合许多政府对旧建筑的条规，我们花了不少时间和金钱。现在看着校园里欢乐的学生，和一群充满干劲的教师，回想装修期的诸多问题，根本不足挂齿。”

Ng Gim Choo / 胡锦珠
Mrs Ng Gim Choo started EtonHouse in 1995 as a result of accompanying her husband to London in the 1980s. Their children’s experience of pre-school while they were there seemed far superior in every way to any that was on offer in Singapore at the time. So impressed was Mrs Ng that she volunteered at the pre-school in order to learn more. When the family returned to Singapore she made the decision to give up her career in auditing and set up something similar here. EtonHouse now comprises 60 pre- and international schools across 9 countries with over 5,000 children from 61 different nationalities on roll.	胡锦珠于1995年在新加坡创办第一所伊顿国际学校。促使她进入教育事业的初衷是来自她以全职母亲的身份待在英国的那段经历。1980年代胡锦珠随丈夫被派往伦敦公干，全家移居伦敦。她的孩子在当地学校的上学经验非常愉快。伦敦小规模的幼儿园让胡锦珠留下了深刻印象，她甚至为了学习更多的先进教育理念而在英国幼儿园担任义工。回到新加坡后，她毅然放弃原来的审计事业而投身创办国际幼儿园。至今伊顿学校已经发展成为跨越九个国家的国际教育机构，旗下拥有60所国际学校和幼儿园，超过5000个学生分别来自于61个不同国籍和地区。
Victoria Newman / 维多利亚·纽曼
Ms Victoria Newman has taught for over 10 years in England and Singapore. Previously employed at the Canadian International School (Singapore), Ms Newman has held positions of responsibility at grade and department levels. In August 2010 she moved to EtonHouse International Pre-School (Orchard) as Assistant Pre-School Director and PYP Coordinator. In August 2012 she became Pre-School Director of 718 Mountbatten. Passionate about children learning through inquiry,	Ms Newman believes strongly in creating environments that engage and help children explore, challenge and extend their theories and ideas. 纽曼在英国和新加坡教学超过10年。她曾任教于新加坡加拿大国际学校。2010年8月担任伊顿国际幼儿园（乌节）的助理校长及PYP课程协调员。2012年8月调任蒙巴顿718分校校长。她深信孩子从探究中学习，因此学校应该营造让孩子探索和挑战的学习环境。