507 TOWARDS EFFECTIVE EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND (ECCE) PROGRAMME IN .

Ifeoma Virginia Obidike Department of Early Childhood Care and Education, Federal College of Education, Zaria.

Abstract The importance of education in the early years of life (0-5) have been universally recognized. The growth, learning and holistic development of children depend on the quality of the early stimulation and experiences offered to the child. Therefore the quality of care-giving that the child is exposed to is equally important and has impact on the child’s learning in the later stages of life. For early childhood education to be functional in the educational system and to achieve its laudable objectives, practitioners of the educational programme must comply with the minimum requirements. This paper discusses the concept of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), and the basic

provision for pre-, facilities and equipment of ECCE. Finally, recommendations were proffered which will help to make ECCE relevant in Nigeria.

The Federal of that the need to address the problems and Nigeria recognizes the importance of pre – salvage these children and the next primary education in Nigeria, and as a of children from these menace, result it was given prominence in the has necessitated the programme of Early National Policy of Education (2004) as one Childhood Care Development and of the programmes in the Nigerian Education (ECCDE). educational system. Mahuta (2007) also stated that the Bagudo (2008), posited that aim of ECCDE is to foster the proper reports across the globe revealed that an development of the children, identify and estimated figure of one hundred million address their problems, harness their children, daily struggle for survival in the potentials, mould their character, enhance villages and cities; and are exposed to the their learning, equip them for life, so that risks of hunger, , diseases, illiteracy their actions are channeled towards and abuses. In support of Bagudo (2008) positive personal, communal and global view point, Mahuta (2007) stressed development in all ramifications of life.

508 Journal of Teacher Perspective Concept of Early Childhood Care and nutrition, security, affection, interaction Education (ECCE) and stimulation for social, emotional FRN (2004) refers to Early psychological, physical and cognitive Childhood Care and Education (pre- development. primary education) as an education given in an to children The Purpose of Pre-Primary Education aged 3-5 plus prior to their entering the in Nigeria primary . The FRN (2004), identified what the Maduewesi (1999) citing purpose of pre-primary education should Robinson (1988) defined ECCE as the be, viz: education offered to children who have not a) Effecting smooth transition from yet reached the statutory age of beginning the home to the school; primary school. b) Preparing the child for the primary level of education; Maduewesi (1999) said that ECCE c) Providing adequate care and is a semi-formal education arrangement, supervision for the child while their usually outside home whereby young parents are at work (on the farms, in the children from about the age of 3 years are markets, offices, etc); exposed through play like activities in a d) Inculcating social norms; group setting, through mental, social and e) Inculcating in the child the spirit of physical learning suited to their enquiring and creativity through the developmental stages, until the mandatory exploration of nature and the local age of government approved formal environment, playing with toys, artists and schooling. musical activities etc; Kabiru (1991) also defined ECCE f) Teaching co-operation and team as all forms of simulation, socialization, spirit; and education that take place during early g) Teaching the rudiments of years of childhood. numbers, letters, colours, shapes, forms etc Oduolowu (2003) refers to ECCE through play. as varied programme initiatives required for children from birth to pre-school age to Basic Curriculum Provision of National make them thrive academically. Policy on Pre-Primary Education NCCE (2007) defined the ECCE The FRN (2004) outlined some centre as a facility outside the home, set up undertakings by the government designed to provide care and support for the to achieve the objectives of pre-primary development and education of every young education in Nigeria, which are as follows: children from birth to the age of five years. (i) Encourage private effort in the NCCE (2007) also stressed that, it is a provision of pre-primary education; facility that will help to meet the basic (ii) Make provision in Teacher needs of the child for good health care, Training Institution for teachers

Towards Effective Early Childhood Care and… 509 who want to specialize in pre-primary while their mothers are at work. The education; children are normally dropped in the (iii) Ensure that the medium of morning by their mothers on their way to instruction will be principally the mother work, and picked later in the day or after tongue or the language of immediate office hours. The children are taken to community; and to this end will: centre along with daily feeds and clothing. a. Develop the orthography for many No emphasis is placed on formal teaching more Nigerian languages, and; and learning. Thus, most staff of Day Care b. Produce textbooks in Nigerian Centres and homes are untrained nannies language, FRN reported that some of these whose major work includes feeding the developments are already being pursued in children when hungry, changing their the Departments of Linguistics nappies, putting them to bed and other under the auspices of some State Ministries activities that centre around physical and of Education. This language center will be emotional needs of the children in the expanded so as to have wide scope; absence of their mothers. (iv) Ensure that the main method of In Nigeria for instance, Day Care teaching in the pre-primary institutions Centres and homes have gone one step will be through play and that the forward by bringing some basic curriculum of Teacher Training Colleges is educational services into traditional appropriately oriented to achieve this. function of meeting the physical and emotional needs of children in their Types of Early Childhood Education custody. NTI (n.d) and FRN (2004) identified three types of early childhood education and Nursery School Education these are: (a) Day Care Education (crèche), Nursery school education is an (b) Nursery School Education, (c) early childhood education programme Education; and was offered to children of ages 3 to 5 years. In succinctly explained by NTI (n.d) as nursery school, individual children are follows: provided with a variety of learning activities, materials and experiences Day Care Education suitable to their level of development – Day Care Education is an early developmental needs. childhood educational programme for the Nursery school education is children aged 2years and below given in properly the most prevalent form of early Day Cared Centres and homes. Day Care childhood education. In Nigeria, nursery Centres and homes are places where education can be traced back to the children aged 2years and below are kept colonial days when pre-school education and looked after by nannies. They are was the exclusive preserve of the colonial centres and homes where children of officials. Today, nursery are found working class mothers are looked after all over the place. Such schools are found

510 Journal of Teacher Perspective on the campuses of our colleges and childhood institutions in Nigeria are , in churches, mosques and located either in private residential homes. buildings or in churches and mosques. Nursery schools assume for the There are some schools that are operated physical well-being of children, they are within the premises of primary schools. also concerned with their social and Thus, most of the buildings housing early intellectual development. The curriculum childhood institutions in Nigeria are not of the most nursery schools consist of originally built for that purpose. Because group activities such as games, dances, of this obvious limitation, a number of singing, listening to stories, colouring, early childhood institutions do not have cutting and other activities that the teacher adequate space for all its activities and may initiate. therefore, lack the basic features.

Kindergarten Education According to Durojaiye (1977) an The word “Kindergarten” is a ideal of early childhood institution should German word for “garden of children” and have the following features: thus portrays the original analogy of (1) A large building (2) A display area (3) children as garden plants to be nurtured A reading area (4) Writing and drawing carefully. area (5) Experiment and discovery area (6) The idea of kindergarten can be Water, Sand, and clay area (7) traced back to the philosophy of Frederick Construction area (8) Music area (9) Art Froebel. In Nigeria, kindergarten education and Craft area (10) Dramatic play area (11) is an integral part of nursery education and Outdoor area (12) Withdrawing area. its can be traced back to the colonial days. Kindergarten education was Facilities of Early Childhood Education generally restricted to 5 years old children Centre and they spend one year in activities in National Commission for Colleges readiness for formal primary school of Education NCCE (2007) recommended education. the following facilities for the ECCE centre. Features of Early Childhood Institutions and Facilities for ECCE Centre Indoor Materials: NTI (n.d) posited that the efficient Hard organization and management of available (1) Building blocks, (2) Puzzles, (3) Plastic space in an early childhood institution and and wooden dolls, the provision of suitable equipment are (4) Abacus, (5) Blocks for shape and very important if such institutions are to colours, (6) Slates (for writing) (7) Toys effectively achieve the objectives for for teaching sound, (8) Drums, which they are established. NTI (n.d) also Tambourine. stressed that at present, most early

511 Towards Effective Early Childhood Care and … Materials for Creche Soft (1) Baby cots, (2) Mattresses (3) Bed (1) Dolls, (2) Teddy bear (3) Toys made of sheets (4) Mats (5) Bowl for washing, (6) different fabrics for feeling. Cups and spoons, (7) Hanging friezes, (8) colourful wall charts. Outdoor Equipment: Furniture: (1) Swings, (2) Rocking bats, (3) Merry - (1) One way observation Mirror, (2) go round slides, (4) Slides, (5) Sand- Chairs, (3) Tables, (4) Shelves, (5) trays, pit/box, (6) Water – play bowls, (7) See – (6) toy boxes, etc. Saw, (8) Climbing frame, (9) Space for story telling, (10) With shade (outside), Hygiene: (11) Under the tree, (12) Garden for nature (1) Wash hand basins, (2) Soap (3) Water, walk, (13) Tricycles, (14) Beans bags, (15) (4) Hand towels, (5) Potty and toilet rolls, Rocking horses, (16) skipping ropes, (17) (6) Big water tanks, (7) Mop and buckets, Balls (different sizes). (8)Sponge (9) Detergent, (10) Brooms (11) Waste paper basket, (12) Incinerator. Measuring Instrument (1) Weighing scale, (2) Thermometer, (3) Electronic: Wall measuring chart (height), (4) (1) Radio and video cassette players, (2) Calibrated cups, (5) Tape measure. Television (3) VCD/DVD, (4) Fridge, (5) Ceiling fans. Learning Centre (1) Nature corner, (2) Shells, Seeds, Stone, Conclusion Sticks etc, (3) Home Corner, (4) Mini For ECCE to be functional, relevant and Library. also actualize, its stated objectives, there is need for the minimum standards for the First Aid Box operation of ECCE to be strictly adhered to (Well Equipped) by both the proprietors of public and private schools Learning/Teaching Materials (1) Flash Cards, (2) Sand – Paper Letters, Recommendation Numbers (for tracing) For ECCE to be effectively (3) Plain paper, (4) Crayon, (5) Powdered implemented, the following paint, (6) Painting brushes, (7) Chalk, (8) recommendations outlined by Monyei Counter, (9) Straw (10) Old Newspaper (2009) are useful strategies: and Magazine, (11) Pairs of scissors, (12) - Early child education should be slates, (13) blunt edge materials etc. mounted in all colleges of education and universities faculties of education in Nigeria in order to produce adequate number of specialists’ nursery teachers.

512 Journal of Teacher Perspective - Encouragement should be given to establishing such schools as part of all owners of pre-primary schools through existing primary schools with adequate grants in-aid; funding, supervision and effective - Early childhood school teachers organization within the same should be exposed to workshops, environment. conferences, seminars and in-service - Effective learning and simulation programmes in nursery education. practices should be provided for - Early Childhood friendly nursery pupils. schools should be built and operated by the - Appropriate assessment instruments government to act as a model for private should be utilized for assessing nursery practitioners to copy. pupils such as observation, interview, - There should be specialized checklist, standardized test, inventory, administrative apparatus of sociogram etc. government at local, state and federal - Only qualified practitioners and levels to control, supervise, organize institutions should be allowed to and maintain standards in all aspects of operate nursery schools; pre-primary education. - Early childhood schools should be - A unified curriculum should be provided with adequate stimulation utilized by all the nursery schools in materials such as colourful wall chart Nigeria. and poster, blocks for shapes, and - Government should finance nursery colours, puzzles, slates , chalks, radio, education. television and CD/DVD players, toys, - Child - centred teaching methods and shop-corners, home-corners, mini- techniques should be used for teaching libraries, paints and brushes, flash the pupils, such as story telling, cards, sentence cards, pair of scissors, rhymes, songs and dances, plastic letters and numbers, crayon and demonstration, observation, pencils, picture and story books, plain experimentation, exhibition, papers, sand-papers, comics, old news questioning, playing, simulation, play- papers, straws etc. materials to cater way, reinforcement, modeling, for needs and interest for the pupils. dramatization, field trip etc. - Early Childhood schools must have References play ground which should contain Bagudo, A.B. (2008). The Relevance of equipment such as swing, rocking, early childhood care development boat, merry-go-round, sea-saw, sandpit and education in achievement of tricycle, water play bowls, climbing vision 2020. Shehu Shagari College frame, space for story telling. Rocking of Education. Farfuru Journal of horses, skipping ropes, balls etc. Multi-Disciplinary Studies. Special - The government should be practically Conference Edition 3, 20 - 27 committed to pre-primary education by

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