Gone are the days when children would be sent to school at a later age so as not to be pressurized with studies early on. Today, most children are sent to school sooner rather than later because it’s believed that this makes them more socially interactive, academically smart and psychologically aware. In urban areas, with the increase in nuclear families and career-oriented parents, sending children to school at an early age has become a common practice. In fact, even those children who live in joint families with grandparents and caretakers are sent to school at a tender age these days.[break]
Former TU Vice Chancellor and educationist Kedar Bhakta Mathema considers primary socialization and preparedness for the real world as an integral part of early childhood education. A school is a place where children make friends outside their homes and comfort zones and learn not just the academics but basic life skills.
“When a child goes to school, he learns that he is not the only prince in the world and there are many more princes like him whom he must live with,” says Mathema.
A fresh atmosphere, some new faces and a difference in treatment have indeed generated positive outcomes in many children. Children, after starting preschool, are known to have shown significant behavioral changes and a rise in the level of receptiveness than before. They have also gotten more outgoing and less demanding.
Photos: Bijay Gajme
Swati Timilsina, 32, always felt that being a single child from a nuclear family would deprive her daughter from actively socializing with other children. Perhaps she would have thought twice before sending her daughter to school at two and a half years of age if there were more children in the family and not just her grandparents and a caretaker whom the kid would mingle with all day.
Initially, she had her own reservations about sending her child to school so early since she herself had started out at the age of six. But after much contemplation and observation of contemporary trends, she decided to choose a preschool that was in close proximity with their residence.
At first, she experienced a little difficulty regarding the dietary habits. This had concerned her in the beginning but her worries subsided when gradually her daughter adjusted to the new menu and meal schedules. Currently, Swati is happy with the behavioral changes she has witnessed in her daughter in spite of the fact that she finds the monthly fees a tad bit expensive in relation to the facilities.
“My baby has better vocabulary and table manners now and her friends’ circle is slowly expanding. She’s getting more confident and she looks forward to going to school,” she shares.
However, a situation like that of Aarati’s is a common one, too. Out of her two children, one comes across as a faster learner than the other. It’s only natural that all children do not have the same personality and ability to grasp things and catch up with their surroundings. When children go to school, they step into a yet unknown territory, and every child’s reactions and receptions vary in nature.
Binaya Maharjan, Psychological Counselor at Ankur Counseling Center, believes that parents should get rid of these petty comparisons and let their children proceed and progress at their own speed. Traditionally, children would start out late after a few years of home schooling. But things are gradually changing now. Children are being sent to schools at a really small age since keeping them up-to-date with the external world is starting to be considered a vital aspect of their upbringing.
Similarly, on contrary to the earlier days when children would be expected to have the alphabets and tables at the tip of their tongues, the present-day school is more about fun and games blended with academics. Today, grade-based hierarchies and corporal punishments are being highly discouraged. And toys, movies and natural components like sand, clay and trees are being included as a part of school curriculum and classroom decorum.
“Even the most problematic and pampered kids have responded well to this concept and have become more disciplined and tolerant than before,” shares Maharjan.
The Montessori Method of education is an example of such schooling system which focuses more on the sensorial, tactile and cognitive development of a child through playthings, building blocks, audiovisual appliances and natural elements.
Dr Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and educator, had first introduced this system of education for those children that were mentally abnormal. It’s a principle that puts children at the center and allows them to grow and develop in the manner that they are most comfortable and in tune with. Later, it was applied to normal children too. Presently, it’s gaining rapid popularity in urban areas of Nepal as well.
Janet Lepcha Dewan, Executive Coordinator at Montessori Kinderworld, considers this method of teaching and learning as scientific and pragmatic. According to her, it makes children independent and disciplined by granting them ample space and freedom to grow under professional guidance and supervision.
She further expresses her sentiments in favor of Binaya’s experiences regarding grade-based hierarchies and corporal punishments. She opines that it’s always better to put the children in different levels based on their age groups rather than their exam percentage. She feels it’s important to consider every child special and address their individual talents in a pleasant and well supervised atmosphere.
“We don’t spank kids. We have ‘time out’ system where mischievous children are politely asked to sit aside to let them know that they should not repeat the same behavior in future,” says Janet.
The generational gap and a difference in perspectives, however, stand out in the scenario as major concerns. The children might be being taught in a certain manner at school but the way their parents behave with them at home may be quite different. This not just confuses small children but also hinders their mental and emotional growth.
An education system can successfully operate only when there is synchronization between parents and school management. Therefore, parents too should be encouraged to participate in their child’s education process and should often be given the required orientations and trainings. This gets them familiarized and updated with the way their children are being taught at school so that they can guide their children in the same way at home.
Pareenita Bantawa Sherpa is another working mother who sends her three year-old-son to a preschool. Unlike Swati who was skeptical about early schooling trends, Parineeta had always wanted her child to be in professional hands so that he could get smarter and more competent.
Personally, she is happy that the school regularly involves parents in its teaching procedures and accepts constructive criticisms from them. She doesn’t hesitate before admitting that sending her child to school has polished her own parenting skills up to some extent with all the interactions and workouts she has been receiving.
“I and my husband spend our weekend googling homework materials for our son since even parents are graded on the basis of their participation,” she smiles.
Preschools are becoming an integral part of the children’s upbringing. Conventionally, children would often live in a joint family and play and study at home. They would go to school usually after five years of age. But with increasing nuclear families where people have fewer kids and live in little apartments with little space to play and lead busy lifestyle with lesser hours of leisure, preschools have become immensely popular and practical.
The attraction is so much that even those children who live in bigger families and homes are joining the brigade so that they can compete and catch up with their preschool-going counterparts.
However, it’s the responsibility of every parent and educator to be aware of what and how much the area of early childhood education entails. Moreover, it’s equally important to maintain the quality and standards of early childhood education since it’s these first five years that possibly define and determine the next fifty years of the children’s lives.
Preschool training Professionals at work
Anu Yadav, 22, has always loved kids. When she was done with her Undergraduate studies, she decided to teach at a preschool. A novice in the field, Anu soon realized that handling kids was a lot more difficult than she had originally anticipated. She would watch the senior teachers and the ease with which they would deal with the little ones. It took her around a week to realize that she not just lacked experience and attitude but also training.
Teaching is not just about telling students to read and write and score good grades in examinations. It entails the art of classroom management and the technique of reaching out to each student, academically, psychologically and emotionally. Most fresh teachers who lack training and experience try to repeat the manner in which they had been taught at school by their own teachers. However, they fail to comprehend that what must have worked out for them may not work out for their students due to the difference in time, age and individual differences in nature and capacities.
Pawitra Limbu, Director at Premier International School and Teachers’ Trainer at Nepal Montessori Training Center (NMTC), considers teachers’ training as a crucial part of any education system. It is even more important at the preprimary level since those children require more guidance and support.
“Teachers’ training not just equips the teachers with the most scientific methods of teaching but also instills in them the virtues of patience and responsibility,” she explains.
At preprimary level, students are emotionally and physically fragile and hence it is not just the teachers but even the school helpers who require proper trainings.
Samjhana Rupakheti, mother of a three-years-old girl who goes to preschool, is not very happy with the negligence that is sometimes showcased by the staff. The children are allowed to run off on their own when they get off the school van at the end of the day.
“I have even complained a few times but it’s of no use. I sometimes wonder if that is because the teachers and helpers are so young themselves,” she comments.
However, Pawitra believes that the way somebody behaves at work has more to do with training, personality and attitude than age. She argues that just like nobody is a born parent, it’s unfair to imagine that there can be preschool professionals who are cut out for the job by birth.
“A trained professional develops finesse even in the smallest of activities which sometimes ends up making them better guardians for the children than their own parents,” she says.
It cannot be contested that working, and that too at a preprimary level, is a challenging and risky jo since it involves small children. However, due to the lack of proper job opportunities, many people are forced to enroll themselves into low paying jobs that demand more energy and input. And unfortunately, teaching in preschools has become a prototype for jobs of such nature.
Despite undergoing pricy trainings, and if they are not paid well, many people may be unwilling to put in much effort into their jobs. And the stark reality of the day is that barring a few schools in town, most do not pay their staff well even if the teachers are trained in their work areas.
Suresh Joshi, 33, a high school teacher and a parent of a preschooler, thinks that with mushrooming preschools and burgeoning training centers, teaching at preschools has become as much of a trend as sending children to preschools. However, little heed is paid to the quality of trainings. Moreover, he has often witnessed that the teachers join these institutions more as a pastime than a serious career option.
“Apart from being expensive, I’ve noticed another pattern at preschools. They pay the more experienced and well-trained professionals relatively better than the less experienced and under-trained ones,” he reveals.
At the tender age of five or below, children are like blank sheets of papers, innocent and easily influenced. Even the smallest of instances can leave a lasting impact on their psyche. Teachers can be a child’s best friend and role model. Therefore, it is important for them to be good at their job. Regardless of the realities of under-appreciation and financial dissatisfactions, it cannot be denied that nurturing a child is one of the most critical and challenging jobs on earth. Therefore, taking it up without being fully prepared would be like jumping into a battlefield without a suit of armor and arms.
“Always do your best!”
Agatha Thapa,
Child Development Expert/Founder of Seto Gurans National Child Development Services
What is Seto Gurans all about?
It’s an institution that works for early childhood development. It’s been functioning since 1979 basically for the betterment of rural children. It helps as far as possible those children below five years of age who are economically deprived to have opportunities to social justice, social inclusion and education.
How do you assist in the early childhood development?
The first five years of a child’s life are the most crucial ones. We combine the Montessori Method within an ecological framework and focus on bringing the child closer to the natural surroundings as well as the society around him/her.
Do you have any programs for parents too?
Yes, we have awareness-raising programs for parents too because no child can develop without their support and encouragement. They should aid in the emotional release of their children and make them less arrogant and bossy. They should never compare their children with others’. Children should be taught the value of patience, respect and morality. A parent should be able to say: “You may not be the best, but you should always do your best!”
How important is early childhood education?
Morning shows the day. Early childhood education is of utmost importance because it not just shapes up the childhood but the entire life of an individual. When a child is allowed to develop freely, his/her brain cells get rapidly and properly simulated. The first five years are very fertile when it comes to molding a person’s personality and honing his/her talents, skills and interests.
How important is teachers’ training for this educative purpose?
Just like every child is different, every teacher is also not the same. It’s important to train the teachers because sending a novice tutor fresh out of graduation with no professional experience and training would be utterly futile in a class full of children. He/she wouldn’t know what to do and would be lost between the screaming kids, dissatisfied parents and demanding management. A teacher is a role model and should be able to reach out to every individual student.
What’s the best way to train a child?
There’s no best way as such. The most advisable way to deal with a child is to let him or her grow and develop in his/her own sweet time under careful guidance. The present is an era of cutthroat competition but what’s more important is to prepare the child for life as a whole rather than for the rat race that rules the world today.
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