BY MOHAMED M.SESAY
Njala University has introduced Early Childhood Care Education (ECCE) at undergraduate level in the Teacher Education department, School of Education, Bo Campus, Towama location. This is one of the post war Njala University intervention strategies. Early Childhood Education (ECE) also referred to as Pre-primary nursery school, Preschool, Early Childhood Development (ECD) has served is strategic to the Government of Sierra Leone’s sustainable human capital development.
Giving the importance of the ECCE programme, the Unit Head, Mrs Yewah E. Minah noted that ECCE acts as a stepping stone for the development of good citizenry, lessens the risk of school dropout, boosts children’s academic success up to higher learning, helps children acquire social skills such as independence, self-confidence, sharing, eating habits, cooperation and team work.
She added that the new programme helps strengthen children language skills, and increases equity of educational outcomes, whilst reducing cost for the nation in terms of loss of talent and public spending on social, health and justice systems.
Mrs Yewah E. Minah also stated that job opportunities in ECCE are diverse across Ministries such as Health, Social welfare, Gender and children’s Affairs, Education, Internal Affairs, Youths, among others.
The discipline is also of importance to Nongovernment Organizations such as, Educator/ Teacher/Lecturer, Community Development worker, Play therapist, Special education needs coordinator/ teacher, Social worker, Child psychotherapist, Speech and language Therapist, Children’s Nurse, Health play specialist, Education mental health practitioner, Public policy coordinator, Child and family advocate, Child development facilitator, Child care administrator and Child protection officer.
Despite the fact the Unit is in dire need for support, she assured that if given the adequate support, the ECCE centre will stand to be a beacon of hope for the education of minors across the country.
She said the Early Childhood Education has been a traditional day care program run by adults who are given token by parents to free mothers from child carrying during the day thereby allowing them to work in established work places or pursue careers/courses. She noted that the programme has now become an established University programme that combines learning with play, focuses on educating children from the ages of 0-8yrs old by trained professionals and gears towards the holistic development of the child that encompasses children’s survival, growth, development and learning
“This sector of education has gotten firm root with the adoption of the Child Right Act, the white paper of the Gbamanjah investigation and the sustainable development Goals thereby gaining recognition from many private entities. This has witnessed the establishment of its governing body, Nursery School Association (NSA) acknowledge by the Government of Sierra Leone, with some governmental commitments” she concluded.