EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CARE AND DEVELOPMENT ON SAINT LUCIA

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EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CARE AND DEVELOPMENT ON
SAINT LUCIA

• Early Childhood Education Care Development in
  Saint Lucia evolved from the traditional public
  school system.

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It must be noted that these schools/centres
emerged out of a perceived need to care for
community children whose parents, mostly single,
were working to maintain their families. Traditio
nally, the caregivers at these centres were
retired schoolteachers who wanted to, for one
reason or the other, maintain links with their
past profession.
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Pattern of Growth

• 1976 - Canada Save the Children Fund submits
  proposal to Minister of Community Development to
  make community centres available for preschools
  and learning play groups.
• 1979 U.N.I.C.E.F. responds to governments
  request for assistance with the expansion and
  strengthening of Early Childhood Programmes by
  funding three year programmme focusing on
  educating and developing children from birth to
  five years.
• Establishment of six (6) government sponsored
  Daycare/Preschool Centres.

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• 1980 Centres catering to the children of
  agricultural workers,operated by Ministry of
  Community Development became fully operational.
  These were located 4-19 miles from Castries , the
  capital and ctered to children between the ages
  of 18 months and 5 years.
• 1982 Sixty-six (66) centres, sixty (60) private
  and six (6) government established to serve
  approximately three thousand (3000) children.
• 1982 to 1999 Steady increase in the number of
  of early childhood centres.
• 1999 to Present Total number of early childhood
  centres increased to 106 privately owned
  preschools, 18 government owned daycares and 15
  private.

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Early Childhood Partnerships

• Over the years the Early Childhood Education
  Sector has had numerous Partners
• CANSAVE,
• UNICEF
• UNESCO

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• Locally, Poverty Reduction Fund (PRF) and Basic
  Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) have joined the
  partnership.
• Most importantly, parents/guardians are taking
  increased interest and responsibility in the
  development of their children.

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Administrative Operations

• Early Childhood Education at present is under the
  purview of two separate Ministries. .

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DAYCARE SERVICESis governed under the Ministry
of Social Transformation, Culture and Local
Government.
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• PRESCHOOL SERVICES
• is governed by the Ministry of Education, Human
  Resource Development, Youth Sports.

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Daycare Services is charged with the
responsibility of children from birth to three
years. Preschool Services is charged with the
responsibility of children from three to five
years.
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• Daycare and Preschool services are collaborative
  partners in the administration, management of
  service, operation and delivery of the Early
  Childhood Care Development Sector.

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Current Trends in Early Childhood Education

• Development and introduction of Policy and
  Minimum Standards of Operation to guide the
  growth of the sector.
• Professionalization of the sector through
  introduction of NCTVET certification of
  practitioners.
• Introduction of cluster groupings to encourage
  collegiality and to
• motivate practitioners towards
  individual,collective professional growth.
• Increased monitoring and supervision of centres
  at the local level.
• Strides towards a seamless transition from the
  early childhood sector to the public school
  system for children and their families

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• Collaboration with other agencies for the
  advancement of
• programmes and services for children with
  Special Needs and
• their families.
• Implementation of community outreach programmes
  with a heavy focus on family interventions and
  early stimulation and advocacy.
• Specialised programming to facilitate / engender
  and encourage the inclusion of fathers and male
  role models in early childhood education care and
  development programming and parenting.
• Consideration and provision for HIV/AIDS
  awareness in early childhood programming.

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Why these approaches?

• To ensure that the traditional approach of
  schooling is replaced by novel,research based
  methods which give consideration to individual
  differences ,inclusion, theories of learning and
  participation of all stakeholders in the holistic
  development of the child.

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• This philosophy is based on the VISION
• which guides Saint Lucias Policy on
• Early Childhood Education,
• EVERY CHILD IN SAINT LUCIA SHALL HAVE THE
  OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP HIS/HER FULL POTENTIAL BY
  BEING PROVIDED WITH A SOUND START TO LIFE.

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• Saint Lucia is presently paying homage to its
  youngest citizens through the observance of Year
  of the child (Oct.2003 Nov.2004). According to
  Goldschmied Jackson (1994)
• A society can be judged by its attitude to its
  youngest citizens not only what is said about
  them but how this attitude is expressed in what
  is offered to them as they grow up.

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The Way Forward
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• To ensure that every effort is made to provide
  that quality of early childhood programming which
  will facilitate the development and empowerment
  of all children and their families, making them
  citizens who
• Are ready to learn.
• Will stay in school
• Are aware of their civic responsibilities
• Will make a positive contribution to the
  development of their society/ community and the
  wider world.

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REMEMBER..

• Children need strength to lean on, a shoulder to
  cry on and an example to learn from.

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