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Indian Chirara Correspondent
Gone are the days where attending pre-school or crèche was viewed as a symbol of privilege only accessible to a few kids from the well to do families. Following the adoption of the new curriculum by government early childhood development has become compulsory with authorities now more interested on how infants begin their formal education. In 2004 the provision of two years of pre-primary education in Zimbabwe (named ECD A and B) was instituted as a policy directed at all primary schools in order to insert at least two ECD classes for children in the 3-5 years age group. The basis for the formulation of the 2004 policy was a recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry into Education undertaken in 1999.

The Commission found that many children in rural and poor communities did not have access to early childhood services. The aim of the 2004 policy framework is to make official the ECD programme under the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. The Ministry wanted to increase equity and access to ECD provisions, and enhance quality education Because of government’s new policy making ECD compulsory, a number of centres offering the curriculum have mushroomed all over the country.

Some have dubious reputation making it necessary for parents and guardians to carry out thorough background checks before enrolling their children. One of the first things that parents should consider is the security of the children at any given institution given the increase in cases of child abuse. The fees of pre-schools are mostly determined by the location with those in high density suburbs charging fees ranging from $50 to $100, while those in the low density range from $100 to as much as $400 per month.

The standards which are offered by pre-schools are also taken into consideration by parents when they seek to enrol their children, as well as the outlook of the premises. Some parents are even attracted by simple things such as uniforms. Geographical location is another factor, parents should opt for a school which is closer to their homes.

Most pre-schools provide transport to ferry children to and from, it’s vital that the drivers are not reckless and are of sober habits. It must be a policy for the owners of the school that their vehicles are always serviced for the safety of their children. Parents must take it as their responsibility to check on the condition of the vehicle which ferry their children, as some of these vehicles are not fit to be on the road.

Still on the issue children, some of the vehicles which are used are not comfortable and is some cases kids are often packed like sardines. This is not ideal. However, the most important aspect to consider on a preschool is to see if it is registered because some of them are not. Some of these pre-schools may not have qualified teachers, something which may not be beneficial to the kids.

In addition some of them may not have the official curriculum which was regularised and recommended by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. The skill of the teachers are very important for the socialisation process of the children as it determines and influence their future. Young children capture things they are taught very quickly and so may be poisoned is they are not taught appropriately.

By not being taught the recommended content, a child will have difficulties when they enrol at primary school, and it will take some time for them to catch up. Cleanliness of the environment is also another aspect to look into. The learning environment of the children must be very clean and tidy. Children can be easily infected with diseases if they are exposed to a dirty environment. Pre-schools must have proper sanitation and a clean environment.

The kitchens must be spotless all the time so as to avoid food poisoning at all costs. In a recent incident that transpired in an area a few kilometres from Masvingo city, almost 70 students from Reformed Church in Zimbabwe-run Morgenster Teachers College were admitted at a local hospital in a suspected case of food poisoning.

The diet of children is also very important, when one is looking for a place. It’s important that they are given a balanced diet, so that they will not be malnourished. Junky food must be avoided at any cost, for they are unhealthy. Chenai Maranda who resides in Belvedere, said that her daughter used to attend a certain pre-school in her neighbourhood but had to withdraw her after started experiencing health problems.

“I had enrolled my child at a certain pre-school here in Belvedere, the reason l had opted for the school is that it appeared to offer services that were up to expected standards. My daughter started experiencing stomach problems and at first I ignored it until the problem became severe and I had to take the child for medical attention,” said Maranda.

After several tests, she said it was found that she had accumulated too much fats because of junk food.

“And l realised that it was at the school because at home we do not take junk food,” the parent said. “I was left with no option but to withdraw my child.”

The responsible authorities must scrutinise the operations and the hygiene of these pre-schools so that the lives of children are not endangered. All in all, parents must not make rush decisions when enrolling their kids as they are serious aspects which must be taken into accounts so as to avoid any regrets.