LETTER: Re: Day care and preschool providers say online learning not working.

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Re:Day care and preschool providers say online learning not working.

Ms. Salmon stated that younger children “need hands on and movements to develop small and large muscles” that’s true. Added to the muscle development, children should be learning through play which not merely for the development of their muscled but also a holistic development. This should include an approach to learning which emphasizes the importance of the physical, emotional and the psychological well-being of all children. Therefore, the online platform is not conducive for preschoolers especially for those school the truly use a play base curriculum.

She further mentioned the financial hardship owners/directors and I might add teachers are facing at the moment. I can agree and empathize with that statement. The truth is the world is suffering from an economic hemorrhage because of the pandemic. Nonetheless to suggest that preschools and day care open and not be lumped with the other learning institutions or should I say the other students required be home is not a prudent.

Preschoolers cannot social distance, that’s a problematic thing for adults to do much less young children. It’s recommended that they don’t wear masks. They sneeze and couch on each other. Sometime not intentionally but it happens. They are coming from homes that can potentially have covid 19 individuals. Isn‘t that the reason why other students are not going out to school? After all it’s reported, that persons, tested positive for covid 19 are advised to stay at home. Why would they want preschoolers go out to an environment in which they can contract or transmit the virus? We must all admit there are dishonest parents/adults who would take their children to school knowing that they have been exposed to the virus. The truth is early childhood centres are an incubator for the development of the virus. I believe we all know this.

I do understand that some parents have to go to work. I do recognize the economic hardship on many persons. However, we must look at the broader picture. It’s just a time in our history that we have to make changes in all spheres of life. We are in a pandemic. We cannot go to the beach. We are under curfew. We have to wear a mask. We have to social distance. All these things are outside of our norm. It’s just not wise to open the early childhood centers now.

Let’s just pray that by the new school year things would be under better control.In the meanwhile let’s forget about the online thing and engage the whole village in helping to take care of the little one’s development. Encourage them to run, climb, jump, play games, read, etc. I’m sure there are persons available to assist for a fee or for free. Better days are coming. I do hope that when that time comes we will all appreciate fully the importance of early childhood development. Not just a place to drop our kids off for our convenience.

Note to the education hierarchy: Mr. brown and others; please don’t allow the calls by directors, teachers, parents and others for early childhood centers to be opened cause you to make a rash decision. Not at this time. Let us also forget about this online platform for them also.

A concern compassionate but broke citizen

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3 COMMENTS

  1. We are all concerned about how we move forward during this pandemic. I hear your concern about children in preschool not being capable of social distancing but I beg to differ.
    At the daycare/preschool that I assist at with reading classes we have been able for the most part to keep the children distanced. Children who present with even a flu are not allowed to congregate, they are isolated and then parents are advised that until the child recovers, in the best interest of the other children they be kept at home. That happened like twice during my time there, before lockdown.
    Sometimes children respond differently to teachers than they do at home. They also mimic what they see their friends doing so if teachers can get a few children to obey their commands, pretty soon all the others fall in line, especially if that good behaviour is rewarded with praise.
    If we wait until January to re-open preschool and daycare the toddlers would in most cases loose a year of tuition. Another thing to take into consideration is how using either a tv screen or computer for prolonged periods will affect the eyesight of these young children.
    The thing is, pre-school and day-care providers do not feel that they have been given a voice in the discussion.
    Perhaps a discussion with these providers and also some parents whose lives are affected could help to come to a better conclusion.

  2. I think that the Early Childhood sector has suffered great losses for the past two years and it is time to address it.

  3. I

    I keep asking what about single parent with no one to watch their child/children and the work place does not understand I work at MSJMC and for their sake alone I leave my children with a serial killer or a rapist so there work can get done or maybe they want that to be a pressure for me to resign after all these years so they don’t have to pay me off … No one wants to babysit and people that are family that I trust with my children came in contact with COVID 19….. My work place is not even empathizing with me but I’ll leave it in Gods hands and let his will be done.

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