BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

BRUNEI may soon embark on starting early childhood education for children below the age of five.

Ministry of Education (MoE) Deputy Permanent Secretary (Core Education) Hj Suhaila Hj Abd Karim told The Brunei Times that the ministry is in an early stage of “coming up with an initiative” to collaborate with relevant agencies to enhance early childhood education and care.

The MoE’s “Outline Strategy and Policy Direction in the National Development Plan” stipulates that one investment to be made was in early childhood education.

“For example, if the relevant agency (preschool) needed help with enhancing the education aspect of teaching preschoolers, then the ministry will look into it,” he said.

He added “plans were in the pipeline” for the ministry to sit down with relevant agencies involved in early childhood education, “to sort out matters”.

“This investment in early childhood education can be regarded as a wise investment in our precious assets, that is our newly-born and young children who will emerge as our future generation to sustain continuity of our lives,” he said.

Currently, MoE is only providing early childhood education to children at the age of five years.

“We have not embarked on providing early childcare and education for younger children yet.”

Hj Suhaila also said that teachers need to embrace change and enhance competencies that are relevant today, while at the same time being committed to ensure they provide education of the highest quality.

During the opening ceremony of “Enhancing High Quality Early Childhood Educators Seminar and Workshop” yesterday, Hj Suhaila said that in terms of preschool curriculum, children were expected to acquire basic communication, social and other positive skills in preparation for primary school.

“Effective teaching methods and teachers’ commitment greatly helps to determine how successful we manage to inculcate values, skills and attitudes we want children to develop,” he said.

“Innovative and creative teaching promotes pupil creativity and creates a learning environment that invites and develosp intrinsic motivation in today’s children.”

He expressed how early childhood educators should be committed to working with children in creative ways to give them the best start in their educational journey.

Meanwhile, Marion Ann Dowling, an educational consultant and facilitator for the four-day workshop, shared her views on the importance of early childhood education.

“Children are in the spring time of their lives. My thesis is to get teachers to get it right as later achievement of children depends on their foundation,” she said. She advised teachers to provide good memories for the children, offer them professional love and to challenge them when appropriate.

“It is important for school leaders to support these teachers, as these teachers have a very hard job,” she said.

Dowling related how children were “overprotected” in the United Kingdom, her home country.

“That is why we need to challenge children, and find ways to intrigue them to help them become sparkly thinkers.” The Brunei Times

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