The right way to begin
SOMA BASU
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Parents rush to enrol their kids in preschool, but is it beneficial? A recent study has proved that pre-schoolers suffer as a result of early childhood education.
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What is the right age for a child to start school?
While one study shows that 80 per cent of brain growth takes place between conception and age four, another says that any normal child between the age of two and five years is in a stage of rapid intelligence development. Being aware of this, many parents rush to enrol their offsprings in pre-schools. But here's the bad news. At a recently held workshop in Madurai, it was realised that none of the matriculation schools the desired level of quality in Early Childhood Education (ECE). This is true all Tamil Nadu.
Educationists and child experts have fought a decade long battle to drive home the point that in the absence of a recognised and specified syllabus for pre-school or Kindergarten quality of ECE will be found wanting.
A core group consisting of members from the Tamil Nadu Forum for Creche and Child Care Services, the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) and the Indian Association for Pre-School Education, have examined this issue and have convinced the State Department of Education, which is reportedly in the process of preparing a model curriculum. "It is a low cost education system, which allows scope for further innovation and creativity. Schools are free to spend less or more in implementing it but basically they will have to adhere to the basic norms of the structured curriculum emphasising a child-centred approach and a play way and activity-based learning," the honorary joint secretary of ICCW Madurai district, Ms.Valli Annamalai.
The 1986 National Policy of Education highlights ECE as a feeder and support programme for primary education. As much thought was given to teacher training, better job recognition and pay and an uncompromising one teacher to 20 students ratio. Mrs.Annamalai said pending the State Department's approval, only teachers trained in the new ECE curriculum would henceforth qualify. In tandem, the core group also plans to lobby for the registration of playschools.
"Proper schooling starts from Std. I. But in pre-schools the child is taught the Std. I syllabus. When age-inappropriate activity is thrust on a child, he/she manifests it as a lack of interest, poor concept formation, moods or fear, inability to think or reason out, socially inadequate skills, lack of self-confidence and more," says Kaushalya Srinivasan, principal of Akshara School.
Emphasising "play as the best and most effective activity" in the 0 to five age group, Ms.Mina Swaminathan, Head, ACCESS, Chennai, said it led to a holistic development as the child develops better physical and motor coordination, cognitive skills, language and communication skills and social and emotional growth.
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