Force-fed education hampers pre-schoolers: teachers

The comments were made at the launch of a project on early childhood education’s cost-efficiency investment by the Quality Learning Foundation (QLF) and Chulalongkorn University (CU)’s Faculty of Education.
CU lecturer for pre-school education Sasilak Khayankit cited a study that pre-schoolers were subjected to imbalanced development stimulation. Many were overwhelmed with academic content, as from kindergarten they had had to study at tutoring school because their families wanted them to pass entrance exams to prestige elementary schools.
Such a rushed approach focused more on rote learning rather than teaching kids to solve problems, using creativity, emotional intelligence and good muscle development. They became stressed and were slower in terms of intelligence, analytical thinking, creativity, language proficiency, overall adjustment, teamwork, curiosity to learn, and responsibilities to self and others, she added.
 “It takes time to raise a child. If you force a kid to overdevelop, he/she could still [develop] but would lack a good foundation. The best way is to let pre-schoolers use and develop all senses through playing, which also boosts creativity and lets them grow in an appropriate pace of child development,” Sasilak said.
Academics, educators and teachers had discussed and agreed that a quality early childhood education comprised “readiness” in children, family and education system. The schooling should fit the children’s age and have enough budget to cover all – including the underprivileged.
Families should get childcare welfare (which included a six-month birth leave with pay) and the education system should have a clear child-development-oriented guideline and pre-school assessment based on observation not exams, she added.
Saying the “window of opportunity” for human skill development occurred best during early childhood, QLF Education Finance and Policy specialist Kraiyos Patrawart said that 12 per cent of Thai children aged 2-5 years old didn’t study at nurseries or kindergartens due to poverty, geographic obstacles, and family’s own beliefs – according to Interior Ministry in 2012.
This situation would affect the country’s economy and society, he said urging the government to focus and invest more ion the children.
Thung Mahamek School teacher Nareumon Neamhom said her school adopted the model of “readiness” in children, family and the education system and gave importance to playing, imagination and creativity.
“Our school provides a lot of activities for pupils to work as a team. For example, after reading a fairytale “Hansel and Gretel”, we let them, together with peers and teacher, build a candy house. This helps kids have their own purpose, become less stressed at school and learn to work with others in a good manner from a very young age,” she said adding that the school also communicated well with parents.