Official plans to start teachers college for early childhood learning

By JINA AMBA
THE director and founder of Waigani Christian College has plans to start teachers college specifically to teach early childhood learning next year.
Benjamin Mul said with the Government doing away with the elementary system, there would be a need for early childhood learning teachers in the country.
Mul said currently Waigani Christian College was enrolling kindergartens to grade 12 and, by next year, they would take in early childhood learning teachers.
Earlier this year, the Education Department launched the early childhood education (ECE) policy.
Education Minster Jimmy Uguro said developing a child at an early age was important for nation building.
Uguro said in order to help develop a child, a teacher must know the child and impart the right skills knowledge into the child’s mind.
Education secretary Dr Uke Kombra, during his speech, said this was the first time ever, that the ECE was recognised by any government.
It has been approved by cabinet and it was going to be imparted into education system and the work started in 2017.
Dr Kombra said: “Pre-schools are going to have is either an ECE kindergarten one, kindergarten two and a pre-school or, as we have now, an elementary school where they move the grade one and two into a primary school,” Dr Kombra said.
“Prep will only remain as part of the preschool.
“So the model we are looking at it now is either a preschool with kindergarten one, kindergarten two and prep or just prep.
“The elementary school in the system are going to be phased out from now onwards to be replaced by pre-schools under the ECE policy.”
Dr Kombra said there were a lot of early childhood sectors, some have been started by churches, some by non-government organisations, some by schools, some by people who also interested in business.
“We have so many ECE across PNG, unfortunately, they are fragmented, there is no single policy or framework to guide it,” he said.
“Hence, this policy has been developed to direct, guide the proper early childhood education for our young people.”