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Moulding years

by Lakmal Welabada

Today many nurseries have sprung up all over the country.

The Sunday Observer spoke to several personalities who are involved in montessori education. We found that there are three methods in early childhood learning practised in Sri Lanka. The AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) method and pre-school method are the two main techniques.

Some follow a combination of both. Mrs. Celia Fernando speaks about the AMI method (Association of Montessori Internationale). Shanthi Wijesinghe, President of the Association of Montessori and Directress says she believes in a revolutionof both methods. And Maureen Wickremasinghe, an expert in nursery education speaks of the changing role of pre-school education in society.

"Before taking a decision of putting a child into a montessori it is advisable to inspect ten, fifteen or twenty nursery schools in the area and have a basic idea of nursery education and how qualified and trained are the teachers.

"A nursery should have a child - friendly environment. It should be very well ventilated and spacious. The toilets should be well cleaned. There should be appropriate equipment and apparatus updated accordingly. The classes should not be over crowded and the maximum number in a class should be twenty. There should be at least two teachers and two assistants to a class.

Shanthi has been the one and only volunteer nursery school inspector in Sri Lanka. "I have no second thoughts of going and tapping on any nursery school in this country, introducing myself and asking permission to inspect the place to see whether it is upto standard. That doesn't mean that every nursery should have a so called 'posh' look. What I mean is something beyond that.

Shanthi says she has gained a lot of experience inspecting the early childhood learning centres in Sri Lanka. "Some Directresses, are very co-operative, but, in some nurseries I was chased away discourteously. If a nursery is up to a certain accepted standard, no matter what the method they are following, we are willing to offer our membership to them if they wish to accept," she says.

Shanthi argues that early childhood development should not be restricted under one particular 'method' or 'technique'' "The method that was introduced a hundred years ago would not be suitable for today's children. There should be changes. The most important thing is to be able to cater to the psychology of the individual child. For that, one should have a dedicated desire and get trained in a well qualified centre," she says.

Shanthi further stresses that parents also have a big role to play in their children's early childhood development. "Home is the very first centre in which the child grows up. Parents can't expect and wait until the nursery teacher does everything for their children. And it's impossible. Things like toilet training and daily cleanliness fall in with parents' responsibility.

Shanthi is the chief instructress for the One Year Diploma Course in Early Childhood Development offered by the Competence Centre for Early Childhood Development (CCECD) at Battaramulla. She claims that the CCECD certificate has an international recognition as it is connected to the post graduate studies in Montessori education in Waterpark, in Ireland and Norway.

Shanthi also points out that the authorities should pay much more attention towards the nurseries in remote areas. "We, the CCECD with the help of Rotarians built 154 toilets for 200 pre-school teachers in the Anuradhapura area last year. All these years they had to hold their bladder until they go home, as those pre-schools didn't have toilets. People in that area are so poor and struggle barely to have at least one meal per day. So how could we expect them to get together and build toilets for a nursery school? It was all due to the loose poles of our authorities," she says.

The CCECD is asked to set up 200 odd pre-schools in tsunami struck areas in Maradamunai and Pandirippu in Kalmunai. All the teacher training programmes will also be conducted by the CCECD under the guidance of Shanthi Wijesinghe.

She further suggests that the nursery education should be streamlined under the Ministry of Education, as it is now under the Ministry of Social Services. It also divides into Provincial Councils and Pradheshiya Sabhas. My opinion is that whether they call themselves an AMI Montessori, a nursery or pre-school, all the early childhood development centres should be registered under a government circular and monitored by the Ministry of Education in the Central Government. Today anyone can start a nursery in this country. There's hardly any rules or regulations.

AMI method

St. Bridget's Montessori teachers' training centre, Colombo, is the franchise holder to issue the AMI certificate from its headquarters in Holland. This certificate holds a worldwide recognition as a teacher for early childhood learning.

Mrs. Celia Fernando, one of the most senior AMI teachers at St.Bridget's, talking on behalf of the Directress of the school, Sister Stanislaus says they are quite proud of the continuous quality output of the school.

"This method was introduced to the world by an Italian national Dr.Maria Montessori, and the method was named by the Founder as an honour to her. She came to Sri Lanka to introduce the Montessori in 1944. The first batch of AMI teachers were trained at the Good Shepherd Convent at Kotahena. Simultaneously, St.Bridget's also started its training centre. We celebrated the 60th anniversary last year," explains Celia.

With the three letters AMI which stands for Association Montessori Internationale in a crest of three rings, they prefer to call their early childhood learning centres, 'houses of children' rather than calling them 'nurseries, montessories or pre-schools'. "At present to meet the demand of working mothers, countries like Ireland and USA have introduced 'Toddlers' Groups' in AMI method for the age group from birth to 3 years. But in Sri Lanka we start from the age of 2 1/2 years and goes upto 5 years until they reach the age to enter the 'school'," she says briefing the AMI method in practice.

"The AMI trains the child in basic practical disciplinary exercises like sitting on a chair and using a table properly. And then gradually they are trained for physical handling like holding objects such as a broom, jugs, pails, basins and trays. Learning to keep the environment clean and tidy by putting the waste into a dustbin, sweeping, mopping, polishing and dusting come next.

They learn to wash and wipe off their hands. In all these activities, water plays a big role and we let children handle water freely. Working and playing with water are two different aspects. We don't play with water, but work with water.

Taking care of himself/herself is also another significant concept. Different ways of buttoning, laceing, putting the socks and shoes on, mouth and hand co-ordination which helps in eating, eye and hand conductibility which develops concentration will gradually help the child to be more independent.

Social behaviour comes next. The child learns the things fast by observing and following other children who are little older than him/her as in a 'house of children' they mix with the age groups from 2 1/2 to 5-years-old.

Cultural and religious activities also play a significant role in the AMI method as we believe that the child should be able to present himself/herself correctly once they go out to society. And it also helps them to live in harmony with all the other communities.

They even learn different greetings of different races such as Ayubowan in Sinhalese, Vanakkam in Tamil, Assalamu Alaikum in Islamic and 'Hello' or 'good morning' in English, and the basic ettiquetes accepted and practised by all these communities.

Learning to handle sensorial material comes along simultaneously. This helps the child sense different materials by their size, shape and texture. Cylinder blocks teaches different shapes 'Pink Tower', 'Brown Stairs' and 'Long Stairs' edify the different sizes. A window and a door carry a rectangular shape while a basin has a circular outline.

All these are around us. The child is taught geometry indirectly by guiding to observe his/her surroundings. Likewise, different kinds of apparatus indirectly help the child learn arithmetic and muscle movements especially in holding a pencil when writing.

Observing colours in one's environment improves the botanical knowledge as well as the aesthetic talent of the child. Conversation is very much encouraged in the AMI method as it improves language.

International relations is taught indirectly through the flags which belong to different countries. Namo Namo Maatha..., the national anthem also has an equal place with English nursery rhymes within the 'three rings' of the AMI method, as it clearly shows the child his/her own identity, explains Celia.

Changing role of pre-school

Maureen Wickremasinghe, well known pre-school educationist who has written many books on early childhood development, voicing her opinions through her many years of experience gave a brief description about the changing role of pre-school education in the society.

"This can be briefed under five categories - physical, intellectual, language, emotional and social," explains Maureen with a few examples.

"Any kind of muscle development falls into the category of physical. And this doesn't mean teaching a two-year-old only to draw two balls, but it comprises climbing, balancing, catching and towing, music and movements.

When you speak of language it means more than learning the alphabet. I have mentioned one true case in my book 'Partners in Learning' about a little two-year-old who was distressed by his inabilities, that he had started bed wetting and having nightmares. The teacher's advice was to keep him an extra half hour after school to 'practice'! When I heard about this I advised the parents to keep him at home.

But as they were both working, as well as having paid a very large admission fee, they felt that he should continue. I wonder what trauma that child has undergone, knowing that he was a failure even at the age of two.

Children have to be loved and nurtured if they are to develop into whole human beings. If they are loved they will respond and give this to others. Aggressive children, are usually those who come from homes and pre-schools where there is aggression, as children learn from those around them. This could be physical or verbal," explains Maureen.

Comment from government officials

The Sunday Observer contacted officials in the Ministries of Education and Social Services to comment on the early childhood education of Sri Lanka. Charmaine Wijesinghe, Media Consultant to the Ministry of Education says that it's a tragedy that the early childhood care programme do not come under the Ministry of Education. "We have authority only over the school going children over five years," she says.

Chandrapala Dissanayaka, Assistant Director of the Children's Secretariat of the Women Empowerment and Social Services Ministry reveals that there are more than 14,000 nurseries in Sri Lanka. "These nurseries are run through the Provincial Councils, Municipal councils, NGOs, voluntary organisations such as Village Development Centres and various other individual private sectors as self employments," he explains.

"I agree with you. It's true that our pre-school education hasn't still had a recommended standard and a proper curriculum system. So many institutions including private, government and voluntary organisations conduct pre-school courses all over Sri Lanka. I can state a few such institutions which are registered with us and conducting diploma and certificate courses.

The Open University of Sri Lanka, Sabaragamuwa University, Wayamba Provincial Council, Kalutara Pre-school Educational Foundation, Children's National Educational Foundation in Mulleria, Sarvodaya and 'Sanasa' Society in Gampaha are some such places if to name a few," he says.

Dissanayaka further says that a national policy on an Early Childhood Development programme to meet with the requirements in the Sri Lankan society, proposed by Prof. Elsie Kotalawala has already been passed by the cabinet. "But, it has not been yet officially introduced. We can hope for productive results from the proposed Early Childhood Development National Committee which will be appointed in the near future to do justice to the nursery eduction in Sri Lanka," he hopes.

It seems that everybody wants to do everything possible to uplift early childhood education, as all of them feel it is important. But still everything is at a standstill, at discussion level. Why not the experts get together and work it out as today's pre-school child is tomorrow's hope in this country.


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