By Damion Mitchell, Staff ReporterDR. DONALD Rhodd, State Minister of Education, said that despite criticisms pointing to inadequate attention by the Ministry for early childhood education, it was still a priority for the Government.
He said that with the convergence of knowledge and the changing circumstances in the global environment, comes the demand for the nation to re-examine its response to early childhood education and not only the Ministry.
He was speaking last Tuesday at the Jamaica Teachers' Association Conference on Early Childhood Education.
"The provision of quality early childhood education will demand greater communication and better understanding of the roles of the early childhood functionaries and stakeholders," he said.
However, he said that the scarcity of funds has made it difficult for the Government to make all the necessary interventions.
"It is a daunting challenge that will require greater efficiency and effectiveness in the management and re-allocation of resources for early childhood development," noted Dr. Rhodd while maintaining that the Government would be treating early childhood education with utmost importance this fiscal year.
Of the $30.2 billion allocated to the Education Ministry for 2004/05, only $1.36 billion have been earmarked for the Early Childhood sector.
STILL PROGRESSING
There are just over 2,000 early childhood institutions islandwide, 29 of which are public basic schools and another 51 infant departments of primary schools which are fully-funded by government, while private sector entrepreneurs and churches operate more than 1,800 so-called community basic schools for profit with minimum Government assistance.
In the meantime, Keith Brown, President of the Jamaica Early Childhood Association, said that early childhood education has progressed although there is still weakness in terms of the quality of training for educators. But more disappointing, was what he termed 'an assault on our nation's future' as a result of crime, violence and sub-standard conditions especially in the more depressed communities.
The Child Development Agency has reported that 36 per cent of children aged 0-4 years old in the Corporate Area has had a family member murdered, while another two per cent have lost their fathers due to violence.
"The tragedy is the impact that these conditions are having on the children. When the gunfire breaks out, school campuses are invaded and vandalised," he said.
Noting that some basic schools two recently have even been set on fire by arsonists, he said: "This really shows that a significant part of our population is completely lacking in sensitivity and lacking in heart... There has to be a national mobilisation that we realise what is happening and we have to do it now."
