Dear Editor,
The Ministry of Education (MoE) must be complimented for its emphasis on nursery education. We must bear in mind that nursery schools form the foundation steps of a child to education. Therefore, it is important for parents and educators to be very careful in this regard, where choosing and maintaining nursery schools is concerned. Overall, they should look towards setting up schools where children can learn and grow in a healthy and homely atmosphere, as playing safely is very important in the learning process.
Why do I say this? Well, the world at large is in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, and our Ministry of Education (MoE) was still able to pay homage to the country’s achievement of running its nursery programme. This has been going now for some for 45 years. Marking this observance was a National Play Symposium, where it was demonstrated that “…play is a fundamental right of every child, and a useful teaching tool to help children learn in practical environments.”
As regards the value of nursery education and play, I do have a few things to say.
First, research is abundant with evidence that shows the benefits of nursey education and early years’ investment actually promote well-being, including helping to improve children’s outcomes and narrowing the gap associated with socio-economic disadvantage. In fact, education overall helps in this all across the world. It is common knowledge that educated people normally earn higher wages, live better lives, and feel better about themselves.
Secondly, as regards the value of nursery education, it is that children play, and as they do so, they learn through the various exercises of fun and playful exchanges with their peers, adults, and by themselves. The real key to me, where nursery education is concerned, is to provide children with a warm, safe environment in which they feel comfortable to explore. And add to that trained caretakers who understand the value of play and have the patience to supervise with care and love.
The National Play Symposium here was held under the theme “Revisiting Play in the Nursery School System in Guyana: Opportunities for Inclusion and Responsive Programming.” This was timely, as the Minister of Education aptly and amply pointed out. According to Priya Manickchand, Minister of Education, “We started nursery education to socialise our children and engage them through play 45 years ago.” But this has changed, and now, for her, “…we have lost the play and the benefits of play, where we are looking to see how much you can read and write and how much science and social studies you know at six years old, without understanding that the incorporation of play might have more value in the imparting of that knowledge that we need.” This is indeed a solid truth to embrace.
Children educators know firsthand that play can have a significant role in the development of a child’s creative abilities. The development of creativity is also related to cognitive development, because creative thinking contributes to problem-solving.
The occasion here was a one-day event collaborated between the MoE and the University of Guyana (UG), and this shows that, more and more, we are realising that education runs right from nursery to university, and the more this connection is realised, the more continuity we are likely to see.
Education runs in stages, and every stage is vital; none must be skipped, if possible.
Another important point from the Minister of Education was the one dealing with materials for the schools. She stated, “About 12 years ago, we had not yet even had our own text. We were taking a serious licking from the private schools that were using the Abeka or Jolly Phonics series.” In this regard, she noted that the cost factor was quite prohibitive, and led to the exclusion of many of the less fortunate children and families. This was corrected, and now “We (have) developed our own series consciously and strategically, called the Roraima Readers, where every child was able to get their own reader, workbook, diagnostic assessment.”
Well, kudos to the hard-working team at the Ministry of Education. My hope is that we will have many more nursery schools built across Guyana. I hope also that the “Theory of Learning through Play” will be taken into account, as children need large, safe, open spaces and an abundance of games and safe equipment to really get the right start.
Yours truly,
H Singh
