林伟杰医生（三巴旺集选区议员）询问社会及家庭发展部长：

(a) 该部是否追踪独居老人在家去世的人数，这些老人的离世通常要几天后才被发现？

(b) 如果有，过去一年中这类案例的数量是多少？

马善高（社会及家庭发展部长）先生：社会及家庭发展部没有追踪独居老人在家去世的人数。政府与社区伙伴合作，采取多种措施，以支持独居老人保持联系，并在社区中安享晚年。

首先， 护联中心（Agency for Integrated Care）下属的关爱乐龄办事处（Silver Generation Office，简称SGO）会联系所有60岁及以上的老年人，以识别有需要的人，并将他们转介到相关的支持或服务机构进行后续跟进。

其次，需要社会支持的老年人将与活跃乐龄站（AAC）建立联系，获得交友和伙伴服务，并定期接受检查。在活跃乐龄站（AAC），老年人还可以参加活跃乐龄活动计划，以扩大他们的社交网络。除了活跃乐龄站（AAC），关爱乐龄办事处（SGO）还协助有兴趣的老年人报名参加人民协会 (PA) 在社区中心和居民联系网络中心（Residents' Network Centres）提供的活动。来自人民协会和基层组织的志愿者也会主动接触需要帮助和陪伴的老年人。

第三，国家发展部和建屋发展局还通过警报系统为独居老年人提供支持，他们可以在紧急情况下在小型公寓（Studio Apartment）和租赁组屋内（rental blocks）呼救。

除了这些努力之外，我们每个人作为邻居也应发挥重要作用，关心彼此，支持老年人与社会保持联系并安享晚年。政府将继续与社区伙伴和机构合作，为老年人提供支持。

Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Government will consider making kindergarten education compulsory; and (b) if so, what will be the factors taken into consideration for it to be integrated into the formal education system.

Mr Chan Chun Sing: To enable our children to have a good start, the Government has invested significantly in preschool education over the last decade. Preschool enrolment has also grown and 95% of Singaporean children aged five to six years are now enrolled in preschool. There are sufficient places for every child.

Rather than impose compulsory kindergarten education, the Government's approach has been to remove impediments to preschool enrolment by ensuring access to affordable and quality preschools, such as in Government-supported preschools. Today, over 65% of preschoolers are in Government-supported preschools, up from just over half in 2019. We will continue to increase spaces so that 80% of preschoolers can have a place in a Government-supported preschool by around 2025.

We also provide targeted assistance to lower-income families to address practical challenges in enrolling their children in preschool and ensuring their regular attendance. Children from lower-income families are accorded priority when enrolling in MOE Kindergartens (MKs) and Anchor Operator (AOP) preschools. After Government subsidies, low-income families may pay as low as $1 per month for half-day kindergarten in MKs and AOP preschools.

As kindergarten education is affordable and accessible to all Singaporeans, we have no plans to make it compulsory at the moment.