This morning, a lot of parents asked for time off from work to be with their small children. Those kids weren’t home sick, they were in a parade and the involvement of parents is critical not as a chaperone, but to show that education is a three way partnership between the child, the parent and the school. That three way partnership made for a very full preschoolers parade today. Jacqueline Godwin found out more.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
It may have been a windy day but that did not stop these boys and girls no older than six years old from marching for an early start to education. The drive started in 1984 to get children enrolled in preschools.
Jacqueline Godwin,
Is there a problem still convincing parents to send them to preschool?
Margaret Williams, Education Officer - Preschool Unit
“Not so much but we still have a lot of work to do because there are still parents out there who are saying that at two years and nine months, it
is still too for them to send their children to pre-school and we’re trying to encourage them to send them at two years and nine months so we could begin to work with them and get them ready for the primary infant divison.”
And while the promotion of preschool dates back to the early eighties it is the first time that younger children from two day care centres participated
Margaret Williams,
“Early childhood spans the area of birth to eight and so we are trying now to work with the Ministry that has responsibility of the daycare to bring us together as one area.”
Former preschoolers who are now members of their respective primary school marching bands agree that an early education did help them.
Deadra Bennett, 11 years old
“I learnt about more things and it helped me because then I am more stronger and I have friends and I learnt to not fear for people and stuff.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
But how it helped you with certain subjects like math, English, reading, phonics?
Deadra Bennett,
“Well it gave me a head start because I didn’t want to look bad when I was in primary school.”
Still, no study has confirmed the popular belief that children who attend preschool do better in primary school.
Margaret Williams,
“We have not done any scientific study as such but we have looked at our own evaluation. We’ve done our own evaluation and the feedback we’ve gotten is that yes it has been working. The teachers, when the children enter infant one see that there is a difference in how the children perform at that level. We felt that this is really the only way we can get our children a good foundation, that we send them as quick as possible to the preschools where we can begin to mould.”
Denise Petzold, Principal - Pickstock Community Preschool
“Preschool is the foundation for education. For example if you’re building a house, the first thing you do is prepare the foundation. Once you have a good foundation that house will stand. So this is the foundation for education.”
Beverly Pook, Principal, Stepping Stones Preschool
“They will learn to socialize with each other, we stimulate them and prepare them for primary school. When they go into the primary school they are well prepared and they learn how to socialize and it is very very important for them because we develop their muscles, their gross muscle skills, their fine motor skills – so they are well equipped when they get to the primary school level.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Do you see any changes since she started attending preschool?
Natasha Perez, Mother of 3 yr old preschooler
“Like she is more into everything she has home. She tells me she remembers it from school and things like that.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
And she learns to socialize as well.
Natasha Perez,
“Yes she likes hanging with her friends so more reason for her to go to school because when she is home and she doesn’t go to school, she wants to go. Saturdays and Sundays she wants to still go to school.”
Gwendolyn Jones, Principal - Port Loyola Preschool
“Yes I do think that pre-school is very essential to children.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
And how important is it for parents to get involved in their children’s education at this early stage?
Gwendolyn Jones,
“It is very important because it makes it a lot easier when the parents are involved also because it is three way; parent, child, and teacher.”
The preschoolers, principals, and even their parents are not only sending out that important message that an early education is important but they are also highlighting other issues that are of concern to these children.
Jacqueline Godwin,
Preschoolers were actually carrying placards speaking out against crime. How important do you see this in what you’re trying to do today?
Margaret Williams,
“Jackie we need to understand that our children at preschool are not exempt from what is happening around us. Some of them experience it on a daily basis and our teachers felt that they needed to at least create some awareness with our children and maybe even the public that the crime that happens out there, doesn’t only affect adults but it does our little ones as well.”
Delone Bailey, Teacher - Building Blocks Preschool
“We give the news, everyday we give news, and that’s the first news they give. They say somebody got shot so we made this poster to let them know, for the youths to know to stop the gang violence.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
And how do you see crime affecting children at such an early age?
Delone Bailey,
“Because some of them live in some environments and they see all these kind of things happening.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
And they come to school what scared and a lot of stories to tell?
Delone Bailey,
“Yes, lots of stories like who beat their mom and things like that.”
A total of twenty six preschools participated in this year’s parade. Jacqueline Godwin reporting for 7News.
Today marked the start of Child Stimulation Month.
