Model Early Childhood Education Centre Opens

The Ministry of Education’s model preschool, the Simon Bolivar Park Pre-school, opened yesterday and is expected to help change the socio-economic future of the country.

Minister of Education Bertrand Joseph said at the opening yesterday evening, “It is going to transform our society for the better because it means that if we get things right at the pre-primary level we will close the prison doors, we will have stronger family bonds and our children and our nation will be the better for it.”

Joseph said the school came about from a review of the preschool sector conducted by UNICEF officials in 2007.

It was found that 28 per cent of three to five-year-olds was not enrolled in pre-school mainly due to lack of funds, which was a serious concern because research shows that the brain develops the fastest, approximately 85 per cent of its total capacity, in the first five years. Unfortunately when these children do join the school system, they are behind the others and may remain there for their entire school career.

“The educational economist tells us that if we do not have this critical intervention at this stage, it is going to cost us more as we go up the ladder in the primary and secondary schools because of the amount of monies you have to invest in remedial work,” he stated.

Training officer in the Early Childhood Education Training Centre Embler Spencer said the defining feature of the centre is that it will teach using the children’s curiosity to improve intelligence. They will be allowed to explore in a relaxed and caring environment under the guidance of capable teachers. More importantly, the service is offered free of cost to those of the lower income bracket of the St. John’s Rural East community.

Spencer said, “Regardless of one’s socio-economic background the decision is still that all children be exposed to quality stimulation. The aim therefore of the educational system must be to give every boy and girl the same opportunity to ensure readiness for primary education.”

Principal Veronica Haywood who spent 25 years running the original Simon Bolivar Pre-school promised to bring all her experience to the fore to educate these children, who she said would be less likely to drop out of school, reach a higher level of social and emotional maturity, display more self esteem and less anti-social behaviour.

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