Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education - Assignment Example

Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education Introduction: The important guidelines for preparing inspection report/project report on any educational institution is the surprise element of the visit. If advance intimation is given about such visits, naturally the school administration will make special arrangements/additional precautions, to present everything in perfect order. My visit to Galaxy School was a closely guarded secret as per the instructions of my higher authorities. Even though the school has a good reputation as for the teaching standards, of late, the Education Department of the State had received many anonymous complaints from the parents of the children. I reached the reception counter of the school 15 minutes before the scheduled time of opening of the school. More on my observations are recorded in the following report: 1. Where is the centre located? Is the location convenient for the majority of parents? The school is situated in the outskirts of the city. It is about 3 kilometers from the borders of the city. Since school buses are provided from majority of the housing colonies of the city, no problem is encountered on this account. The school is housed in a 12 acre plot of land. The lawns and the garden are well maintained. Tree plantation is carried out within and outside the compound walls of the school in a planned manner. 2. What are the days and hours of operation? The school works for six days in a week. It is closed on Sundays, but a skeleton management and maintenance staff is always available. Residential quarters are provided for such personnel, within the school compound. The hours of operations are between 8 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. A lunch break is provided between 11.a.m. to 11.30 a.m. 3. On what holidays is the centre closed? Apart from the yearly Christmas Vacation for one month from 10th December to 9th January, the school guide shows six other important holidays, related to gazette holidays declared by the Government. 4. What is the program type or philosophy? The program is in line with the Bush Administration’s early childhood initiative, “Good Start, Grow Smart.” It includes efforts to strengthen Head Start, partner with States to improve childhood education and provide necessary information to teachers, caregivers and parents. A Guide to Good Start, Grow Smart and other Federal Early Learning Initiatives has been provided to every student. 5. What does the program cost? The program is subsidized by the State government and a fixed fee of 100$ USD, per student is charged. 6. What items are included in then cost and what is extra? The fee mentioned at column 5 above covers all expenses except expenses on school uniform and transportation charges to and from the school. 7. Does the centre has an update license or registration certificate, if one is required? The school commenced its activities from 1-1-1997, which means it was founded about 10 years ago. A registration certificate issued by the State Education Department is prominently displayed in the Office as well as in the cabin of the Principal. 8. What are the criteria for hiring teachers (experience, education) etc. The School goes by the standards prescribed by the Education Department of the State Government for various categories of staff in the school. Most of the teachers are post graduates and have done special diploma courses in Montessori system of education. The School has many experienced staff on their rolls as well. 9. Are the references for all checked carefully? Each staff member has to produce two testimonials from gazette officers, or prominent personalities of the area in which they reside. Their original certificates of education qualifications are carefully checked and scrutinized and the attested copies are kept in their respective personal files. Their appointment is confirmed after verification of their character and antecedents from the Police Department of the area. 10. What is the child adult ratio? The child adult ratio is 1:10 11. What is the turnover rate for caregivers? The turnover rate for caregivers is 1:50 12. What types of activities are scheduled? Ask for a typical daily schedule. Activities for a high-quality language, literacy, and pre-reading activities, using scientifically based research to support children's understanding of letters, letter sounds and the blending of sounds and words. Pronunciations of a fixed number of words, Morning Prayer etc. are part of the daily schedule. 13. How are emergencies handled? Is there a written emergency plan? There is a well detailed emergency plan both for fire-related emergency and health emergency. Most of the staff has gone through an in-service fire fighting program. Fire extinguishers are installed at places where they are expected to be. An ex-serviceman is in the employment of the school who looks after the security aspects. He is an expert in handling the fire fighting equipments as well. As for the health emergencies of the children, a qualified nurse is on duty and there is a dispensary equipped with the first aid needs, including oxygen. Ambulance services can be summoned at a very short notice. 14. What type of meals and snacks are provided? Or must parents provide food? The school has its own kitchen but a tie-up arrangement exists with a catering agency for cooking and packing the food. The school provides the necessary material and the daily menu. The quality of the food is excellent. The cooking staff is well-trained. Milk, cakes, chocolates and fruits are provided as per the standard laid down by the school. Parents, if they wish, can give food to the children. They can exercise that option. 15. What is the daily schedule for napping and where do the children nap? A separate hall, well equipped for the purpose, has capacity to accommodate about 50 children at a time. Two staff members are on duty. Napping however is not compulsory. 16. What is the policy for sick children? Sick children are not encouraged to attend the school, if it is a major sickness. For minor ailments, the school dispensary is well equipped to deal with. Free medicines, tonics, are provided on request. 17. What is the policy on administering prescription and non-prescription medicines (such as vitamin supplements?) Prescription medicines are not provided by the school. On recommendations from the family doctor of the children, vitamin supplements are provided free of charge to the needy children. The cost of such medicines is covered by a General Insurance Policy which covers the entire staff and children of the school. 18. What provisions are made for children with special needs? A separate department looks after the physically challenged children and arrangements are adequate in this regard. The staff is sensitive to the additional needs of the children and they are looked after with love and affection. The Government policies and directions with regard to the facilities to be provided to such children are scrupulously followed. 19. What provisions are made for ESL (English as a second language) children? Specially trained staff handles this aspect. This staff fully understands the needs of the children hailing from different races and communities. 20. What kind of parental participation is expected? A system of quarterly parent-teacher meeting takes care about this aspect. Parents are encouraged to ask questions about the progress of their wards and their suggestions are noted down in a separate sheet for necessary action and for being eventually filed in the personal files of the children for record as well as future reference. The parents are invited for important school functions. 21. Are parents allowed to visit? Are unannounced parental visits welcome? Parents are encouraged to visit the school. Unannounced parental visits are allowed, subject to certain conditions. There is a fixed time during the day. The visits should be for specified purposes, which will be noted down by the office staff. 22. Are there regular meetings between staff and parents? Yes, every quarter. 23. What assessment methods are used to measure and evaluate progress? This includes direct child assessments, parent interviews, and teacher report on children’s social skills, teacher interview, and direct classroom observations. Conclusion and recommendations: On inspection and verification of the various records, we found that the content of the anonymous complains were bogus. The very fact that the complaints were not authenticated and no proper address was given indicates the malicious intention of the complainant.The school deserves the excellent reputation that it commands. The results of the school will speak for itself. The school is in urgent need of Government grants for is expansion programs. Proposals are under consideration with the related government departments. In the interest of the school and the school -going children and their parents, such projects need to be given speedy clearance. ---------- Word Count: 1447. . . Read More