|
Pre-Primary Education - A Must! |
|
|
|
I write this letter in response to the debate in Parliament on the introduction of pre-primary education in the government schools, proposed by MP Maoto. It is encouraging that most of the legislators were in support of the motion.
However, is it disappointing and worrying that some of the executive members, especially the ones who should be responsible for the implementation of the proposed motion, are trying so hard to prevent the motion from being passed by using bureaucratic delays and excuses such as lack of infrastructure and specialized teachers.
It is expected of the government to provide a good learning environment that is encouraging and stimulating to its citizens if we are to invest in the future of the nation. I do not have to remind all that proper investment on the education of the citizens will have positive results in ensuring competitiveness, an informed nation, participation in the provision of quality services, increase in motivation, and moving the nation towards achieving Vision 2016. But for as long as we have people such as Minister Nkate and Nasha the realization of such dreams will not become a reality.
To me if Minister Nkate says the motion on the implementation of the recommendation of Kedikilwe Commission of 1994 on the introduction of pre-primary education was deferred because it, "could not be implemented immediately", indicates the failure of his Ministry. If the so-called deferment took 14 yrs without being revisited until someone brought it up in Parliament, and still some people want it to be further deferred citing some lame excuses, it really worry me.
Excuses, such as lack of classrooms and specialized teachers, point to the failure of the two Ministries, of Education and Local Government, in service delivery. Those must be addressed separately, which should expose the effectiveness of the Ministries in the provision of services, and be separated from the importance of pre-primary education.
Kedikilwe's proposed amendment should also be addressed separately as evaluation of the implementation of the education policy. According to studies, psycho-developmental factors such as emotional and social adjustment are responsible for most of the learning difficulties/problems such as reading, numeric and writing, experienced by most of the children. Helping the children to achieve emotional adjustment and good social behaviour gives them enough internal resources to cope with academic challenges and perform better than children who display signs of distress, or with poor social skills.
Pre-primary education offers children, especially those from poor, dysfunctional families, inexperienced parents, or from busy parents, who do not provide enough stimulation, cognitive, academic, emotional and social growth of the child. This will ensure better adjustment of the child when he/she starts primary school and prevent learning problems/difficulties as well as negative behaviour, such as being distractive and staying away from school.
Developmental psychology asserts that a child achieves cognitive development and is capable of socializing with others other than primary caregivers at the age of 3. The child at this stage develops a sense of self, separate from the other and has developed the representation of the love object (mother), which enables him to cope in the absence of the mother. The presence of the loving school environment or teacher/friends will act as transitional object to reassure the child of the love and help him to cope at school. The child at this stage will be able to develop the most basic skills in socializing, cognitive stimulation, counting, differentiation of colours, shapes as well as learning caring for others and morality, which lacks in our country. This will also address issues that our President is worried about.
It is not easy for children to learn all these when they start at primary school. This is why a good foundation course is needed. This will also reduce the burden from teachers who are forced to provide remediation classes or lessons, and as already alluded to, there is 'shortage' of teachers. We will also reduce the number of 'misdiagnosed' children as having learning disorders and sending them to special schools.
Please let’s stop all these delay tactics and do what is right for the good of our country. A lot of money is being wasted on useless programmes and commissions whose recommendations are shelved and not implemented. It is high time that we do what should have been done more than a decade ago. The shortage of teachers should not be an excuse. We have a lot of institutions producing teachers who are unemployed because their skills are not needed. Why isn't the Ministry of Education advising students to study what is required, or work with institutions to introduce curriculums which meet the needs of the schools.
All the money used to sponsor those unemployable teachers could be used wisely to produce what is needed. I call upon the University of Botswana research center and education students to consider research in these areas and advise the government.
Ministers Nkate and Nasha, please let’s not be counterproductive. Do what is right. Teachers associations, please help the honourable MPs who are debating this issue.
William Bapati
UCT
Cape Town
 |
Archives 
Subscribe to this comment's feed