Prime
Good early childhood education is critical
Children’s early years are the basis of future development for a strong learning base. Photo credit: United Nations
What you need to know:
- Children’s early years are the basis of future development for a strong learning base.
Dar es Salaam. Aga Khan University-Institute for Educational Development, East Africa (AKU-IED) said early childhood education was important in building the foundation of success to the future generation.
AKU-IED made the emphasis during a capacity building training for teachers and school managers which was focused at enabling them to smoothly lead and manage early childhood education in Tanzania.
Speaking during the event held on Friday, AKU senior lecturer, Fortidas Bakuza said children’s early years are the basis of future development for a strong learning base.
Dr Bakuza said managers need to have several skils including the ability to identify the kind of people they work with in the institution and understand early education and child development.
“Gaining better understanding will ease their management. Teachers and people around them can be given proper explanation about early childhood education,” he said.
According to him, AKU understands that positive experiences and environments can set a child on a stronger life-long path, and their caretakers and teachers need to have competence and understanding on how to support that.
Gasheni Pre-Primary and Primary School principal, Jackson Masua said the training is important as it reminds and trains them on the effective leadership skills to manage early childhood schools and raise young children in good values.
“Pre-primary and primary level children go through challenges, and this training builds a solid foundation for and a know-how to put them in the best values for a proper education,” he said.
Ms Tamara Semfukwe from Montessori Community of Tanzania said the brain of children starts to develop at a young age, and their development can be influenced by the environment.
“High quality early childhood education and care, gives children the best start in life. It provides important opportunities to learn and develop,” she said.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) indicated that children who participate in quality preschool programs are more likely to arrive at school equipped with the social, cognitive and emotional skills they need to help them to continue learning.
The UN agency says these benefits extend well beyond primary school, noting that higher levels of educational success, employment and social skills have all been linked to moderate levels of participation in quality early childhood education.
“It can lay the foundation for good health and nutrition, learning and educational success, social-emotional learning, and economic productivity throughout life,” Unesco states in its Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) publication.
