ECC reports decline in delinquent early childhood institutions
Published:Friday | May 12, 2023 | 12:39 AM
THERE HAS been a significant reduction in the number of early childhood institutions (ECIs) across Jamaica operating without a permit.
Currently, there are 27 delinquent ECIs, none of which are government-operated, compared to February 2022 when 84 institutions, including 12 government-operated ECIs, were listed as delinquent.
Trisha Williams-Singh, chairman of the Early Childhood Commission (ECC), told The Gleaner that six of the 27 ECIs are located in St Catherine, four each in St Thomas, St Ann and Clarendon, while the remainder are spread out across other parishes.
“Schools that were operating knowing that they have not applied for registration have now started to come in with their paperwork,” she said.
Williams-Singh said the ECC has also increased its thrust to modernise the sector by creating more infant schools and infant departments and it is the desire of the commission to establish 30 annually.
“Every primary school, once it can, must have an infant department. Where there is no primary school, what should exist is an infant school. As is, when you look at the numbers, the space that the Government operates in is about 20 per cent and we need to get to 80 per cent,” she said.
Last year, eight new infant departments and six infant schools were opened.
“If you have an infant department that has been established in a community where it’s free, parents will send their children to the infant department versus an institution that is public-private because you have to pay a fee. With the thrust to create infant departments, schools that are delinquent are either coming forward or closing their doors,” she explained.
Williams-Singh told The Gleaner that ECC inspectors and development officers have been identifying infant departments and schools to accommodate students, should ECIs on the delinquency radar be recommended to the education minister for closure.
No such recommendations have been made recently but, in January, New Discoveries Preschool and Daycare in St James was ordered closed following reported cases of child abuse by caregivers.
In instances where an infant department or school is not within proximity, the ECC will keep “knocking on the door” and insist that the delinquent institution comply.
Last April, some 1,056 of the 2,373 ECIs islandwide were reported to be in need of substantial support from stakeholders to be certified, having earned below 50 per cent in their most recent inspections.
The infant schools and departments, which account for 44 per cent of all ECIs, scored grades as low as 15 per cent in the assessment.
These findings were contained in the ECC’s Assessment Report of Early Childhood Institutions March 2022, which assessed ECIs against the 12 standards that illustrate an institution’s overall operational performance.
In an emailed response, the ECC told The Gleaner that support has been provided to the ECIs since the launch of the report.
ECI operators have received plans and policies training, as well as assistance from field staff to improve the learning environment, which includes the setting up of their space.
The commission also said that there have been continuous visits from development officers to offer curriculum training targeting standard 2.
Standard 2 focuses on developmental and educational programmes which mandate institutions to implement comprehensive programmes designed to meet children’s language, physical, cognitive, socio-emotional, spiritual, cultural and school-readiness needs.