Introduction The early childhood education is a field that has been rather slow to take up the challenge of sustainability; it has a potentially significant role to play not because of underlying concerns for children’s welfare, but because of interest in children’s environments and its attention to social justice. Recently, a new dimension has been added to early childhood education for sustainability (ECEfS) as an emerging national and international field, given a fillip with the launch of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) (UNESCO, 2005).
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Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (ECEfS) recognizes that young children have capacities to be active agents of change now, as well as in the future, and that early learning is important for shaping environmental attitudes, knowledge and actions. This is because early childhood is a period when the foundations of thinking, being, knowing and acting are becoming ‘hard wired’ and their relationships with others and with the environment are becoming established. It is also a time for providing significant groundings for adult activism around environmental issues (Chawla, 1998; Davis and Gibson, 2006; and Wells and Lekies, 2006).
If children are to grow up in a world that maximizes their life opportunities, that recognizes their capacities as active citizens, and nurtures hope, peace, equity and sustainability. Adults cannot do ‘business as usual’ and simply pass the problems of unsustainable living on to the next generation. The UNICEF (2003) report that children need to be seen and heard in their communities with a wide range of social and environmental activities but the concern for sustainability within their environment is of great importance to them.
It also observed that responsible citizenship is not something that is suddenly given at 18 years of age. Therefore, Hart(1997) insisted that even very young children have the capacity for active participation and the acquisition of political literacy and skills in the society even though it is critical that children are not seen as the ‘redemptive vehicles’(Dalberg and Petrie, 2002,) where the social (and environmental) ills of the world are cured through children.
It is therefore pertinent to investigate the factors militating against the implementation of this level of education in our public schools, if we must consider the less privilege children as also having the right to early childhood education. This paper therefore examined the concept of early childhood education, brief history of the programme by different educationist, its importance, the factors militating against it implementation and give few suggestions on how it can be effectively implemented and forged ahead. Concept of early childhood education
Early childhood education is a term that describes the care taken and the teaching of young children from their birth to the age of six in Nigerian context and age of eight in some other countries of the world until they start school. The term refers to activities carried out by people outside the family and is often focused on learning through play. The facilities that provide early childhood education services include kindergartens, nurseries, pre-school classes, child-care centres and other institutions that are set within the communities.
In another related development, Early Childhood Education is a term that refers to educational programme and strategies geared towards children from birth to the age of five. This time period is widely considered the most vulnerable and crucial stage of a person’s life. Early childhood education also refers to all that contributes to a child’s readiness to begin formal schooling. It includes much more than just academic readiness—it targets the whole child. The age range for early childhood education varies from one organization to another.
Brief history of early childhood education The first studies on early childhood education appeared in the first half of the seventeenth century. Johann Amos Comenius is among the founders of the system as we know it today. In his book The Great Didactic (1657) he introduced what is now considered one of the first descriptions of an educational system tailored for young children. In Comenius’ view learning through the senses was the best way to teach during early childhood. He believed that before reading about the object of study a child should first touch, see, taste or hear it.
According to Comenius, there should not be any gender or social class discrimination in education. He paid specific attention to individual differences among children; he believed that a child’s development depended on his or her natural inclinations and that one and the same method would not work with each child. Comenius’ system of education included four levels spanning from infancy to adulthood. Each level outlined the educational experience needed by a person at each stage of development. This idea was new and became the foundation of other scholars’ works on the concept of early childhood education.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed in education according to the ways of nature. He felt that education should be focused more on sensory and rational experiences than on literary and linguistic ones. One of Rousseau’s most famous quotes proclaims that “Our first teachers are our feet, our hands and our eyes. To substitute books for all these…is but to teach us to use the reasons of others”. In his view education for young children requires more freedom and individuality, an idea that was fundamental for the time. Rousseau’s system of education differed drastically from the common practices.
According to him each child was born with his or her own destiny, so education had to be based on his or her nature and needs. He also believed that a child should be physically and emotionally ready for a specific idea before they could learn it. This view came in contrast with Comenius’, as he suggested the concept of readiness. Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi was the first to introduce the idea of psychologizing education. It brought after itself significant changes in the aims and methods of early year’s education.
According to Pestalozzi the most natural environment for children is their home where discipline is combined with love. He applied his system in three schools for war orphans, where he helped the children develop ideas through sense impressions. As part of the method he replaced learning by heart and reciting with other activities such as oral teaching, experience with familiar objects, geography, arithmetic and music. Practical skills like farming, housekeeping, spinning and weaving were also taught at Pestalozzi’s schools.
Importance of early childhood education For many reasons, early childhood education is a phase that has come to intervenes to meet the need of working class women. In most countries, including Nigeria, education has been the traditional means by which people have improved their prospect for productivity and satisfying lives. Early childhood education, according to UNESCO (2006), helps to build the psycho-social foundations needed for children to undertake abstract learning that will help them later in primary school. Children of the poor who are ot privilege to go through early childhood education do not develop the skills, habits and attitudes expected of the average child in primary one. This lack of development results in low scores in intellectual test measurement or scholastic ability. The lack of preparedness for school makes them back academically backward compared to their counterparts who have had the privilege to start at the nursery stage of education. Early childhood education promotes holistic development of the child which includes good health, nutrition and a nurturing environment for smooth transition to primary school.
Intellectual, social, physical and emotional aspects of education are all included in the curriculum for the early childhood system which helps to foster all round development. With social skills, the children learn to share and cooperate with each other, respect and understand their feelings. The intellectual skills help the child to learn basic concepts, improve small muscle coordination and begin to master skills necessary for Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. Other skill such as language mastery also helps the child to learn to express his or her thought and feelings verbally in a clear and appropriate manner.
Childhood education is therefore, very important because it promotes the child’s holistic development and therefore should be given due consideration. Factors militating against the implementation of early childhood education in Nigeria There many factors militating against the implementation of early childhood education in Nigeria such as lack of government interest on ECE programme, lack of enough funding, public interest, qualified caregivers/ teachers and play and learning materials.
Nigeria as a nation need a sustainable peace to make the country move forward both educationally and economically and this can only be done through the implementation of a good National Policy on Education and the National Policy gives the following purpose of early childhood education which is the grass root or foundation of education system in Nigeria these are: ? Effect a smooth transition from the home to the school. ?Prepare the child for the primary level of education ? Provide adequate care and supervision for the children hile their parents are at work (on the farms in the market, offices etc). ?Incalculate social norms. ?Incalculate in the child the spirit of inquiry and ? creativity through the exploration of the nature, the environment, art, music and playing with toys, etc. ?Develop a sense of corporation and team- spirit. ?Learn good habits, especially good health habits; and ?Teach the rudiment of numbers, letters, colours, shapes, forms etc, through play. (NPE: 2004, page 11)
Upon all the purpose stated above most of the states government in Nigeria do not consider Early childhood education as the most important sector of education that should be given attention, even the Federal government that launched the compulsory free, universal Basic Education Programme in September 1999 which was formally established in 2004 did not give priority to the early childhood education because the environment of the early childhood education is about 21million with only existing centres of 2. 02million children leaving about 18. 9 million Nigerian children without the necessary early childhood care. Also the requirement for teachers/caregivers on ECE programme is 1,050,00 but only 80,922 teachers are being employed for the programme (Tahir, 2004). Government Lack of Interest towards Early Childhood Education Early childhood education is not a priority in Nigeria because the education sector is already burdened with responsibilities for other levels of education. No effort is made by the Nigerian government to implement the policy provision for early childhood education.
Therefore the implementation of this level of education is left in the hands of private proprietors. An example here is that in Kebbi State there are over 396 ECE centres and almost all the centres has no facilities and the funding of the programme is only 0. 2% of the budget on education sector in the state. Furthermore the implementation of childhood/nursery education in the public schools has not been effective due to some factors which include funding, lack of playing/learning facilities in the centres and adequate care of the children in the centres. Attitude of Parents/Public towards Early Childhood Education
Parents in the community prefer to take their children to privately established early childhood education centres instead of developing the ones near to them within the communities, if parents and the general public can cooperate and provide the necessary facilities needed for the care and development of their children in their communities it will improve the programme in all the communities. Parents view early childhood education as not necessary because children only go to the centers to play and because of play why should they waste their resources to sponsor children.
This view stems from ignorance because of play according to Frobel play activities develops the child personality. Children learn by doing and that play comes naturally to the child and it is the most fruitful way for him to learn. Play also makes the child to express his feelings and thought and makes him to initiate behaviour and activities that he watches from other members of the family. So as people have different views concerning childhood education they cannot form a formidable force to challenge the government for not implementing this level of education.
Lack of Sufficient and Trained Caregivers/Teachers: For any educational system to thrive well, sufficient trained teachers are needed in order to carter for the needs of education. One of the reasons why the standard of education is fast deteriorating is due to lack of sufficient teachers. It is observed that of all the universities and colleges of education in Nigeria, put together, not up to a third of all these colleges and university have early childhood education departments even though it is now in the new Nation curriculum for colleges of education.
If the federal government is to implement early childhood education in Nigeria, it should make it compulsory for all the universities and colleges of education to established department of early childhood education. Also health institution like college health science should be advised to establish such department in order to cover the large no of children that are being born all the time. Recommendations From the above discussion, it is clear that not every Nigeria child access to early childhood education due to some militating reasons which deny them such opportunities.
Establishment of ECE departments in colleges of education for the training of special caregivers/teachers is very important. A special training need to be given to health personnel in the health institution on ECE is also recommended. Government should take care of all the privately established early childhood education centres, so that it will fulfill it promise of education for all to all Nigerian citizens/ also recommended that the federal government should give a standing order top state and local government to fund the sector and give it necessary supervision.
Parents should also be mobilized to participate fully on establishing such centres in their communities and also assist government in supply enough playing and learning facilities. Conclusion Implementation of policies and programmes is a vital instrument for the progress and development of a nation. Any policy or idea, or no matter how brilliant and well intentioned is, it has to be implemented in order for its goal to be realized. The reason why developed countries are far ahead of underdeveloped ones is because they formulate policies and spend a lot of money implementing them.
Nigeria needs to wake up from its educational ideas of re- formulating policies without implementing them and supporting them with enough resources. l In Nigeria, we have beautiful ideas but implementation has always been the problem. Every child in Nigeria should have access to early childhood/Nursery education. It should be a right and not a privilege. References Dorothy June Sciarra (1998), Developing and administering a child care Centre. London International Thomson Publishing Company.
Federal Government of Nigeria (2004) National Policy on Education, Abuja: NERDC Rachel T. L. (2009), Factors Militating Against the Implementation of Early Childhood/Nursery Education in Nigeria. Journal of Childhood and Primary Education Vol. 6 No 2 Tahir, G. (1998) Implementation of Basic Education in Nigeria. Unpublished Material. UNESCO (2006) Pre-Primary Education: A valid investment option for EFA (No 31 March-April). UNESCO (2007) Early Childhood Education Digest Abuja Nigeria UNESCO
