Assessing the status of pre-schools in Kampala District, Uganda

Abstract

This study was carried out to assess the status of pre-schools in Kampala District. The study provides the background that pre-schools or kindergartens are gardens of children where they could unfold their natural potentialities through play and discovery, guided by the adult. The review of the present literature on the pre-school status is meant to give an insight into the topic by looking at what has already been done by previous studies on pre-school education. The review yielded that the pre-schools tended to stress the 3 Rs Reading, Writing and aRithmetic. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether pre-schools promote or hinder socialisation. The specific objectives of the study were to; (a) examine the teaching-learning environment in the pre-schools (b) investigate the methods of delivery in the educational programmes (c) assess the impact of the pre-school programmes on the socialisation of children. In this study. In this study, the researcher used cross sectional survey research design because of its suitability in obtaining information from a small population of respondents. Both the quantitative and qualitative research techniques were used. Several respondents namely education officers, headteachers, classroom teachers, children and parents were included in the study and views of 205 respondents – 119 female and 86 male were elicited. Results from major findings revealed that 1) pre-schools did examine the teaching-learning environment but the recommended teaching materials were not available. 2) The recommended pre-school teaching-learning techniques were not fully used in the implementation of the prescribed educational programmes. 3) There was a variety of children activities in pre-schools but less stress was put on the assessment of children’s socialisation. Consequently the study made recommendations to education policy makers, implementors and inspectors of pre-schools hoping that when they are responded to and implemented, there may be an improvement in the promotion of socialisation of children in pre-schools as a whole. These were: 1) The Department of Early Childhood to ensure monitoring of and maximum implementation of the recommended teaching-learning environment. 2) The Ministry of Education and Sports through the Teacher Training Colleges to offer periodic short courses to increase competency of teachers on recommended methods of delivery. 3) The Early Childhood Centres through the proprietors and headteachers to yearly review the assessment of the impact of the educational programmes.