“Ammae , njan kurachukoodi urangikotte…”
A Series of articles on the various aspects covering the trauma of pre-school children in Kerala depicted by Shri.Dinakaran Kombilath, in the Malayalam newspaper, Mathrubhoomi, printed edition, from July 29 to August2, 2007.
http://75.125.120.232/~mathinfo/static/parampara/parampara.php?id=1954&np=12
This article was quite timely when the nursery rather preschools were mushrooming like telephone booths all around the place, especially in our cities. An assessment of the situation in Calicut highlighted relevance of his sketch and the gravity of the issue. Detailed studies are a requisite to monitor kinter-garden education in our State with immediate intervention to streamline all essential aspects to ensure quality, quantity and uniformity to facilitate proper development of the upcoming generation…
Hope this article would generate public response from laymen, parents, learned scholars and educationists alike.
I record my observations as a layman cum parent of two kids of this age…
A list of probable points that can be covered during a study to assess the situation is also elaborated…
Primarily, there should be a public consensus on the extent of exposure required for a pre school student. The curricula must then be finalized keeping the average student in focus as the majority. Kids up to the age of six learn fast and what they imbibe at this age has a lasting impact on them. According to Sir Ken Robinson, all neonates are highly creative and talented. They develop progressively up to six years and thereafter there’s a gradual Genius Dip. The activities should be focused in such a way that kids get maximum exposure for social development. Formulation and popularization of a uniform syllabus and screening of preprimary teachers through eligibility criteria by a central agency are advisable.
Suggestions:
- School time for KG classes can be from 9.30-12.30 @ 5days a week.
- Children from the locality should have primary preference in school admissions.
- Infrastructure: standards should be formulated and ensured for the space in buildings, the pathways, accessibility, ventilation, and so on. In most KGs even toys and swings are showcase items preserved for display rather than for use!!! This has to be changed. Children can be given huge black boards at their level and numerable swings. The KG playground should be exclusively designed to help kids observe and learn from their surroundings.
- Teachers are role models and the nobility of this profession is more with those who handle the blooming buds. Ensure that the kids are cared for comfortably. The very style of dressing, behaviour, rude or polite nature of the teacher, all influence children a great lot. There should be an assessment of academic excellence along with controlled behaviour and child friendliness.
- Mother tongue should invariably be made the first language of communication even in CBSE and English medium schools, by LAW. Thereafter let children move on to English and Hindi or even Sanskrit and Arabic!!! This would improve their comprehension and confidence.
- At KG level individual attention is a must. The proportion of qualified teachers and trained ayahs (their child friendliness and cleanliness are equally significant) to the number of students enrolled has to be adequate.
- Lack of uniformity in fees and donations: A KG here needs recommendations even from Bishops house!!! Just as a prerequisite to consider the application for admission.
- Instead of huge school buses, let KG and primary children be taken in smaller vans and let them not be stuffed like packing non living things!!! The route and number of children should be designed effectively. At least one teacher or a responsible Ayah should accompany children in such a way that they are picked first and dropped
last. Reduction of traveling time should be the primary concern. - For snacks at 11am: an equal sharing opportunity can be envisaged with more stress on fruits and vegetables, occasionally salads. This can even be made compulsory.
- Weight reduction of school bags: Nursery bags can be limited to snacks and water bottle only along with raincoat on rainy days. Rhymes and story books can be kept at home and parents can help children with that on weekends. At school if children are put in small semi circles, they can share a reading book which has to be provided from the school. The colouring, writing and activity books should invariably be kept at school and home works should be totally avoided. A spare dress can be labeled and kept at school for use in case of any emergency.
- When children are taught stories or rhymes that are not in the prescribed books, copies of the same can be sent for reinforcement at home. This would help the laggards maintain their confidence.
- Outdoor Activities and Visits: Once every month children can be taken out to public places- zoos, parks, railway station (rush free small ones), circus, beach, bakery, fruit stalls, vegetable markets, super markets, farms, aquariums, magic shows, flower shows, tailoring units, local industries of the area and so on. At least once a term an outing would do more good.
- Attendance: let all the KG fellows with 85% attendance be categorized as A+. This would help children take rest during fever and use medicines with fewer side effects. Even otherwise this would help them take a break when severely tired. There shall not be any compulsions on sick and disabled children.
- An open house where parents and teachers can discuss about the children once every fortnight would help reduce stress on the youngsters. Most kids are reluctant to present their requirements or requests for support by themselves. In such cases additional facilitations to help them overcome their shyness would pave way for magical transformations.
- Rather than routine language and mathematical exercises, in KG let the children be more tuned in for socialization, character building, habit formation, gradual development of discipline, moral values & so on.{ e.g. not to eat toothpaste, balanced food, good habits, self care especially from pedophiles, table manners, respect for elders, courtesy and politeness, obedience and so on}
- The curricula should also preferably expose children to various sports- indoor and outdoor, art forms - traditional and modern, so that talents can be identified and nurtured effectively at the budding stage itself. Swimming, karate or martial arts like kalari payattu can be shown and its significance in general body coordination
emphasized. Let them pick up any one activity of their choice and start when they are 8years old. Exercises for breathing and concentration can also be given an introduction to or even yoga can be initiated to keep physical-mental-mind-body balance. - Let school time for KG be generally divided as 9.30-10.15am play, 10.15-10.30am: toilet and drinking water, 10.30-11.15am studies, 11.15-11.30 am toilet 11.30-11.45am for snacks. Ayahs should help children take and have snacks up to UKG.11.45-12.30noon can be for activities, music, colouring etc. During the budding age, kids naturally need support from their parents. All efforts should be made for better and smooth parent-teacher coordination.
- The assembly for the KG and primary classes should be separate and short and under shade ONLY. If joint, there should be a break in the school assembly, wherein the younger ones are sent of to class in between.
- There are situations where some teachers and their kith and kin handle tuitions for even KG kids!!
- There’s also a system wherein teachers form a group to mutually enhance their own kids demotivating other talented students.....
I am unaware, about the extent of effectiveness of our laws in force so as to achieve all this and whether new ones are to be formulated?? However, there should an agency to streamline the whole set up, inspect and rectify. Otherwise it’s the future of the upcoming generation that’s at stake as rightly pointed out by Shri. Dinakaran Kombilath.
Let our children be more comfortable and equally knowledgeable. Let them get educated in the true spirit....
