Early Childhood Gains Momentum

Baboki Kayawe | Monday March 6, 2017 15:56

 

The Minister of Basic Education, Unity Dow said this when addressing Parliament recently. The introduction of the One-Year Reception Class Programme in public primary schools since 2013 has continued as an effort towards improving children’s readiness for school and reducing learners’ dropout rates during the early years of learning, she explained.

Currently the programme is being offered in 471 primary schools countrywide.

“The remaining 285 schools will be considered for introduction of the Programme during NDP 11,” she said.

The long-term Plan is to have covered all primary schools by 2019/20. The civil society was applauded for its invaluable role in bridging this gap that has existed between the rich, and the poor due to the cost implication of early childhood education.

“Let me commend the Private Sector and Non-Governmental Organistions (NGOs); including Churches for having for a long time, implemented Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as per the ETSSP,” Dow said.

Further, she said government has noted that the low-income groups are unable to access early child hood care and education in the private sector because of issues of affordability.

As a result, Dow announced Government has decided to partner with the private sector and NGOs to provide ECCE to learners who are not able to access the ECCE at market rates.

“My Ministry is currently working on guidelines to partner with private sector and NGOs,” she said.

As part of the implementation of the ETSSP, the Ministry says it has developed a draft National Curriculum and Assessment Framework (NCAF) in accordance with the strategy principles.  “This framework will facilitate the restructuring and reform of general education to achieve education priorities as outlined in the Education Sector Strategy.”

Another major reform is the undergoing review of the senior secondary school curriculum to align it with Outcome-Based Education (OBE) principles and to provide multiple learning pathways more suited for the diversity of learners.

 The new curriculum would be aligned to the needs of industry whilst introducing the multiple pathways concept in secondary education with the provision of options -in the form of academic, vocational and arts for learners of different potentials, talents and interests.