Early Childhood Education thrust

Some 2200 nursery aged children are receiving education through the state’s 11 nursery schools and the nursery units established within 50 primary schools across the island.

Those figures were disclosed yesterday by Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Freundel Stuart, as he said that the Government he leads remains committed to the provision of Early Childhood Education, and citing the National Strategic Plans, he said they identify Early Childhood Education as a key component to propel this country forward.

His comments came as he delivered the feature address yesterday morning at the official opening of the Maria Holder Nursery School at Gall Hill, located at Church Hill Road, Christ Church.

Prime Minister Stuart told the audience, which included several Cabinet Ministers, officials of the Maria Holder Memorial Trust – which undertook the construction of the school – and officials from Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Education, that there are countless benefits to be derived from exposing children to quality Early Childhood Education programmes, including the development of literacy and numeracy through play-based interactive learning, and the provision of opportunities to learn how to socialise.

Moreover, the PM said such programmes help to build self-confidence and self-esteem, foster enthusiasm for lifelong learning and promote values such as respect, patience and tolerance.

“Early Childhood Education is without question the platform for the construction and development of a child’s spiritual, social, emotional and physical attributes. These building blocks will prepare children for life with its varying and ever changing nuances, particularly in this dynamic and volatile phase in today’s world,” he added.

He further noted, “In addition, changes in the family structure have necessitated the establishment of institutions which offer quality care and supervision, during the hours when parents are at work. In many modern societies, there has tended to be a decline in the reach of the extended family, which has resulted in the need for the state and the private sector to fill this ever gaping void.”

He made the point while noting that the main benefit of Early Childhood Education is that it helps attain success, which enables the students to become well rounded, self-actualised individuals. He is adamant that in this modern age, that is an “invaluable ingredient” for the positive development of Barbados.

With that in mind, he expressed appreciation to the Maria Holder Memorial Trust for the exceptional contribution they have made to Early Childhood Education in this country, seen in the state-of-the-art facilities already provided by the Trust at Sharon, St. Thomas and Gall Hill, Christ Church, as well as those to come including at Oldbury, St. Philip, which is to open later this month and cater to 90 students. He noted too that the Trust has plans to build four more nursery schools.

PM Stuart said that in addition to the provision of the schools, the Trust has also given support for the training and retooling of teachers in the Post-Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education Programme offered by Wheelock College, which has also offered the graduates of the first and second cohorts an advanced programme.

“It is therefore expected that with exposure to continued in-service training, teachers will gain the requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes required to provide and maintain the delivery of quality Early Childhood Education in Barbados. This is paramount if we are to prepare children to think critically, to be observant and discerning, and to be creative and productive,” he indicated. (JRT)