The lack of universal preschool education provision in SVG is having a negative impact on children’s short and long-term life opportunities and outcomes. It is the children of the poor who suffer the most from the ULP regime’s failure to provide free preschool education for all.
Research indicates that high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) can have a positive effect on children’s educational, cognitive, behavioural and social outcomes, in both the short and long term. ECEC can also play a positive role in raising attainment and closing the gap between outcomes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds and other children.
Free preschool education
According to the Leader of SVG Green Party, Warrant Officer Ivan Bertie O’Neal BSc (Hons), MSc, MBA, who was awarded The British Royal Air Force Meritorious Service Medal in recognition of his Exemplary Conduct and his high Personal Standards and Professional Expertise, a Green Government would provide free preschool for all children.
To improve SVG’s children’s life opportunities and outcomes, all children in SVG should be able to access free preschool education.
Using cognitive, psychosocial and physical developments-based learning, a child in preschool will learn about their environment and how to verbally communicate with others. Children who attend preschool learn how the world works around them through play and communication. During preschool children will learn how to properly express themselves, share, communicate with their classroom peers and follow classroom rules.
Socialising and communication is a key part in the development of young children. Learning to interact with other children in preschool will not only help them in the preparation for primary school, but it helps develop those skills for their adult life. Starting learning in preschool helps the next stage of learning when starting primary school. It gives children the knowledge and skills to be ready for school and progressing through school life.
Countries all over the world with a very high standard of education and living, such as Singapore and New Zealand, have a strong focus on preschools, to give their children a solid foundation with which to enter primary school.
It seems very strange for the ULP regime to focus on universal secondary education when many children fail to finish primary school, and many of those that do, are inadequately prepared to cope with the learning they need to do in secondary school. Many of the youth in the Belle Isle jail lack the ability to read and write properly. This is partly a consequence of the ULP regime’s education system which fails to give all children the educational foundation offered in preschools.
The failure by the ULP regime to provide free preschool for all children means many of SVG’s children are getting left behind their peers in other countries and having their life opportunities limited.
A Green government would offer universal free preschool. Getting a good education is important in breaking the cycle of generational poverty and keeping people out of poverty. With an education, especially a university education, a person has many more opportunities to achieve prosperity.