There is a strong agreement by the respondents that local communities do
contribute in monitoring the activity of teacher and sometimes in
providing security to the school facilities (OECD, 2012). They play a
critical role in supporting educational growth and development of early
child education in their communities.
Of all the measures that
Federal Government undertook in order to facilitate the achievement of
the objectives of early childhood education, the one that seems to have
the most significant effect is the granting of permission for private
efforts in the provision of early childhood education in the country,
with virtually less or non participation by the public sector. This, in
addition to lack of supervision to ensure the maintenance of standards,
has led to increases in numbers of early childhood education
institutions in the country (Tombowua, 2013).
The study had also
shown that private individuals had played a great role on early child
education in Ilorin South Local Government Area; this is by establishing
of nursery schools which are building and manage by private individuals
(Table 7). They are actively involved in building nursery schools, with
well furnish classrooms and instructional materials as well as playing
ground which contribute to the effective teaching and learning in
pre-nursery schools.
There is a notable agreement by the respondents
that private sectors do follow education policy statements and practice
guidelines in providing for early child education and they do provide
most enduring educators (OECD, 2012). They play a critical role in
supporting educational growth and development of children. As private
individuals are involved in child’s early education, they form strong
partnerships with government and teachers; this makes a significant
positive impact on the child’s growth and development. In early
childhood programs, private individuals are also encouraged to be
involved in all aspects of the program, such as planning,
implementation, and evaluation. Private sector’s involvement is a major
component of school improvement and planning (Capper, 1993).
Quality
control and monitoring is another important component of quality early
childhood education provision against which effectiveness can be
measured. The study by Matafwali & Munsaka (2011), however, revealed
that there were no standard norms of practice for early child education
in Zambia, and that quality control and monitoring was non-existent.
This was exacerbated by lack of policy and curriculum framework to guide
implementation of Early Childhood Education in Zambia. Just like
Nigeria the Ministry of Education, with the help of UNICEF, had been
working on the Early Childhood Education policy for a long time now, but
results could not easily come forth. This important level of education
has been, for a long time, at the mercy of private service providers and
some who may not possess adequate knowledge and expertise in Early
Childhood Education provision.
The provision of Early Childhood
Education gives several gains to children, communities and the nation.
Research findings give us information that wherever a child could be and
if the service is provided, it would give an advantage to children’s
achievement in their future prospects such as improving language and
upgrading social skills among the children, hence contributing
positively to the development of the nation.
Klaus and Gray (1972)
investigated the benefits of early childhood education and their results
indicated that children who attended early childhood education were
ready for reading, language and personality characteristics. This was
also noticed by Baruth and Duff (1980) who wrote that recipients of
early education indicated greater interest for the alphabet, vocabulary,
and number-work, and were ready to interact with books. The second
finding was that they scored higher in reading skills and learned
faster. From the above research findings, it can be deduced that
pre-school, kindergarten or early childhood care development and
education experience help and promote school performance even if the
children are from the low socio- economic stratum. This is supposed to
be encouraged and provided to all citizens.
Additionally, children
get organized at a tender age; parents and teachers have less
difficulties dealing with such children with regard to right time for
meals, toilet issues and other activities that go with desirable child
growth. It becomes easy to teach such children when they enter Grade 1
as the culture of school would have been embedded in them at pre-school.
This assertion has also been observed by Bowman (2001), who contends
that,
“While no single curriculum or pedagogical approach can be
identified as best, children who attend well-planned, high-quality early
child education programs in which the curriculum aims are specified and
integrated across domains tend to learn more and are better prepared to
master the complex demands of formal schooling."
Early childhood
education exposes children to the school environment at an early age,
where they develop social, physical, mental, aesthetic and emotional
capacities. Children also develop spoken and written language early and
hence can breakthrough in reading at primary school easily. This
assertion conforms with the study by Commonwealth (2011), who carried
out a study in Australia and found that the attendance of two and a half
hours a day at a Australia nursery school appeared to result in
children attaining greater improvement in language proficiency and
concept formation than those of a similar social economic background who
had not attended nursery school.
The benefits of exposing children
to school environment need to be emphasized. Familiarity with school at
an early age gives confidence in learners as they socialize freely with
fellow children and teachers. Such foundations can be laid through early
childhood programs which serve as a supplement to children’s home
environments. Such programs create awareness about school institutions
and procedures which have a positive impact on formal schooling later
on.
Attending early child education also reduces dropout rates which
have been rampant in both primary and secondary schools. Children who
undergo early child education remain in school and learn confidently;
such children do not leave school at all, unless in special cases such
as illness or disabilities.
It has become pertinent from these
findings, to reinvigorate early child education in Kwara State and
perhaps in Nigeria in light of the numerous opportunities it has on the
future of the young child. This means that the curriculum of pre-primary
schools should be totally restructured to bring about expansion in the
teaching areas through the inclusion of recreational activities through
the effort of government, community and private sectors so as to make
learning and playing very comfortable to both teachers and the children.
Favourable learning environment can enhance children’s learning. One of
the great psychologists, Piaget (1956) spoke on the different effects
of the environment on the growth of mental structures of the child which
facilitates learning, he was of the view that:
“Environment
stimulates learning and the development of the cognitive domain that the
early years hold the key to learning. There is therefore the need for
special attention to be given to the sensitive nature of early learning
by affording the child the right environment where he will develop the
potentials and skills for later life experience and education.â€
With
this, the quality of children will be enhanced and their potentials
will be harness early in compatible with the requirements of the
expanding job market. Having this in place will encourage parents to
enroll their wards for early child education. This equally requires
educators to re-skill with the new requirements for an early child
education in order to promote its practice across the country. It has
therefore become crucial for government, communities and private
individuals to provide financial aid to primary schools for the
promotion of a suitable framework and the essential infrastructure
required for early child education in Kwara State.
