In today’s education sector, the field of Early Childhood Education (ECE) faces unique challenges and opportunities that require innovative leadership and effective management. High quality ECE sets the foundation for a child’s future success. To address this, the Centre for Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning (CELL) within AKU’s Institute for Educational Development, East Africa (IED, EA) convened over 65 teachers, school managers, head teachers, and education stakeholders for a training workshop.
School leaders were equipped with skills to recognize the fundamental attributes required for educators and leaders to foster professionalism in Early Childhood Education. It advocated for a comprehensive ECE approach, emphasizing the integration of gender and inclusion, as well as promoting play-based learning within the area of information and communication technology.
Professor Jane Rarieya, Dean at IED, EA said, “In this day and age, research tells us if we get it right in the early years, things will be smooth for the child’s educational journey. Leading ECE institutions is not easy and that is why we thought of igniting the passion for teachers and leaders in ECE.”
Participants were engaged in several activities including group discussions, hands on activities for active learning in ECE and the development of an action plan. These activities brought to light similar experiences and challenges that teachers, school managers and leaders face every day and also proposed step by step solutions to achieve a specific goal.
“Managers need to have several skills including the ability to identify the kind of people who are equipped to work in ECE. This will easen their management and enhance a positive cultural ethics in supporting ECE practices at their workplace,” emphasized Dr Fortidas Bakuza, faculty at IED, EA.
Here’s what participants had to say:
Ms Tamara Semfukwe from the Montessori Community of Tanzania said,” A child’s brain starts to develop at a young age and their development can be influenced by the environment. High quality early childhood and care give children the best start in life by providing important opportunities to learn and develop.”
CELL will continue to offer more workshops and courses that addresses the gaps in education across East Africa. As the landscape of early childhood education continues to evolve, it is imperative that leaders and managers remain dedicated to providing safe, inclusive, and high-quality learning environments that nurture the potential of every child.
