Ministry designs nursery syllabus
THE Minister for Education, Geraldine Namirembe Bitamazire, has said the ministry is designing a new early childhood development policy with stringent measures to cut down on the number of under-age children in nursery schools.
By Felix Oketcho
THE Minister for Education, Geraldine Namirembe Bitamazire, has said the ministry is designing a new early childhood development policy with stringent measures to cut down on the number of under-age children in nursery schools.
“The new policy will provide measures on what age children should start nursery school and what syllabus to follow while training nursery schools,†Bitamazire said in an interview recently.
She said it was wrong that children have been subjected to inappropriate written examinations, particularly in nursery schools, yet their brains are still young to comprehend the subjects.
Bitamazire said a recent survey revealed that most nursery schools were characterised by poor premises, poor instructional materials and lacked trained teachers.
She said teachers in some nursery schools and day-care homes did not follow any syllabuses.
“Although nursery teachers have undertaken training in private institutions, 40% of such institutions admitted students who had not done O' level and the curriculum they use is not recognised by the ministry,†Bitamazire said.
She said children’s mental health is critical for their development so that they can successfully cultivate self-confidence and become socially and emotionally active.
About 33% of the total population in the country is made of children below 6 years and nearly 40% of the children below 3 years are stunted due to malnutrition.
Malnutrition has registered higher levels among the rural children.
THE Minister for Education, Geraldine Namirembe Bitamazire, has said the ministry is designing a new early childhood development policy with stringent measures to cut down on the number of under-age children in nursery schools.
“The new policy will provide measures on what age children should start nursery school and what syllabus to follow while training nursery schools,†Bitamazire said in an interview recently.
She said it was wrong that children have been subjected to inappropriate written examinations, particularly in nursery schools, yet their brains are still young to comprehend the subjects.
Bitamazire said a recent survey revealed that most nursery schools were characterised by poor premises, poor instructional materials and lacked trained teachers.
She said teachers in some nursery schools and day-care homes did not follow any syllabuses.
“Although nursery teachers have undertaken training in private institutions, 40% of such institutions admitted students who had not done O' level and the curriculum they use is not recognised by the ministry,†Bitamazire said.
She said children’s mental health is critical for their development so that they can successfully cultivate self-confidence and become socially and emotionally active.
About 33% of the total population in the country is made of children below 6 years and nearly 40% of the children below 3 years are stunted due to malnutrition.
Malnutrition has registered higher levels among the rural children.