professional development experiences in early childhood ... proyectos actividad... · professional...

Professional Development

Experiences in Early Childhood

Education in Barbados

Prepared and presented by

Catherine Blackman – Education Officer, ECE

Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports, Barbados

Overview of Barbados

• The most easterly Caribbean country

• Approximately 260,000 people

• Independent since 1966

• Free compulsory universal access to education at

primary and secondary schools (ages 5 – 16)

Background to the

Development of Early

Childhood Education (ECE) in

Barbados • 1950s – 1960s

– Immigration of men to Britain, Panama and other parts of the world to

work

– Need for mothers to go out and work

– Community person administering care to neighbourhood children

– Older sibling taking care of younger siblings and therefore could not

attend school

Background to the



Barbados • Late 1960s – 1970s

– Emergence of the Child Care Board, Child Care

Board Act and related legislation

– Legislation governing health and health care

• 1980s

– Greater focus on 3 year olds in the system

Background to the



Barbados

• Late 1980s

– ECE Association of Barbados was formed

• 2000s

– Thrust towards universal access for 3 year olds

• Plan of Action

– increase the number of nursery

schools

– offer assistance to private

institutions that provide

additional space

– develop a standards document with accompanying legislation

– provide training for teachers working with the 3 year old cohort

Expansion of ECE Programme

in Barbados

Expansion of ECE Programme in

Barbados • Objectives

– achieve the United Nations Declaration on

Education for All

– implement CARICOM’s Plan of Action to

address early childhood issues in the region

– provide universal access for all 3 year olds

Agencies Catering to the Birth to

Three Cohort • Child Care Board

– organisation, Act and accompanying legislation established in 1969

– revision of the Act in 1981

• Role of Child Care Board

– provide and maintain Child Care Centres

– place children in foster care

– register and license private day care centres

• Role of the Ministry of Health

– ensure the well-being and safety of citizens

– early stimulation of babies and infants

– provide educational programmes on health

issues for mothers and their off-spring

Agencies Catering to the Birth

to Three Cohort

Professional Development for

the Day Care Worker

• National Certification Programme - Basic

Certificate Course in Child Care

• On site training relative to programme

planning and curriculum monitoring

• Seminars and workshops

• Observation of best practices

Professional Development for

the Nursery School Teacher • Teacher certification

• Degree in Early Childhood Education

• Post Certificate in ECE

• General interest course in ECE

• Pedagogical training in ECE Care and Development

• Seminars and workshops

• On-site training

• Observation of best practices

Professional Development -

Parental Involvement

• Parent Volunteer Support Programme

– Phased based training including inter-alia:

• An Overview of ECE

• Basic Principles of Child Development

• Characteristics of Young Children

• Disciplinary Techniques

• Networking and Collaborating with Organisations and

Agencies


Parental Involvement • Parent Education for Development in Barbados

(PAREDOS)

– The provision of Pamphlets, newspaper articles, radio and television, community initiated lecture/discussions and monthly parent education forums. (Over 50,000 parents and children are reached annually).

– Parents workshops, seminars and conferences (over 500 parents and adolescents are reached annually)

– Parent support groups, individual and family sessions (over 1000 parents and children are reached annually)

Professional Development - Early

Childhood Education Association

of Barbados

• provide early childhood educators, caregivers and

parents with opportunities to exchange

information to keep abreast of current trends and

innovations in early childhood education

• sensitise educators, caregivers and the wider

community to developmentally appropriate early

childhood programmes and practices

Professional Development - Early

Childhood Education Association of

Barbados

• conduct workshops, seminars and conferences in early childhood education care and development

• assist in providing wherever possible resource material for use in administration of early childhood programmes

• establish a closer working relationship among persons involved in the care, education and development of young children.


Regional Collaboration in ECE

• Collaboratively developed ECE standards and learning outcomes documents

• Foster greater awareness of areas such as child rights, nutrition, health care, environmental health and early interventions for hearing and speech, through regional workshops

• Consensus building on critical ECE matters

• Strategies for collecting statistical information relative to ECE

• Exchange visits to observe areas of best practice in other

countries within the region

• Increased provision of

developmentally appropriate

resources to foster a more

child-centred approach

to teaching



• Development of training modules

• Greater collaboration between agencies responsible for the ECE cohort

• Regional collaboration led to revision of legislation and standards documents for birth to three cohort



Conclusion

While there has been some improvement in the collaborative efforts of the relevant agencies, there is still work to be done as it relates to the birth to three cohorts.

What is now expected is a closer synergy between these agencies as we strive to ensure that adequate provision is made for the development of the young children of Barbados.

This is critical as their future growth is highly impacted on by the early foundation set through the provision of quality resources and professional development activities.

Thank you for your attention!

professional development experiences in early childhood ... proyectos actividad... · professional...

Documents