Early childhood education

WHEN are young children going to be given real attention with real importance placed on their learning and literacy? Referring to young pre-school children as ‘kids’ doesn’t help. If it was meant to be ‘kids’ then it would also be EKE rather than ECE as in Early Childhood Education. It is not very respectful; it is a colloquial expression and is derogatory. To hear, as I did, on FBC TV news last night the Minister for Education Premila Kumar use the term ‘kids’, it didn’t come over at all as being very fitting of a Member of Parliament. These are her words: “In some cases, they have just cordoned off an area and they are trying to teach ECE students but you all agree with me that ECE is the foundation and when the kids are young we need to mould them and we need to provide them with the best education.”

What is also shocking but not surprising is that suddenly the ministry has stumbled on inappropriate teaching practices, standards and conditions at ECE centres. Yet when I was doing post-graduate studies in ECE and focused on a kindergarten in Suva, I was aware that, for the entire year I attended, this centre of learning, registered with the Ministry of Education was without power.

The Ministry of Education was informed about this early on but was anything done? Not at all. The teachers couldn’t play music for the children, turn on a fan if it became very hot or even boil a jug of water to make a cup of tea.

It seemed the teachers were afraid to report this as their contracts are reviewed and renewed annually and they feared losing their jobs if they were vocal about standards and conditions. The Ministry of Education has staff whose responsibility is to inspect and report on education facilities but do they ever go to ECE centres? It seems not very often at all.

‘Suffer the little children...’ (The Bible Matthew 19:14).

JULIE SUTHERLAND

Tamavua, Suva