LETTER | Importance of early childhood education

LETTER | An important factor in laying the groundwork for a child’s intellectual, social and emotional development is early childhood education (ECE).

In Malaysia, the term refers to the education of young children from the time of birth until around the age of six, at which point they transition into formal primary schooling.

The goals of early childhood education are the development of a child’s physical skills, social and emotional development, as well as cognitive and learning abilities.

However, there are issues where parents may lack the knowledge or resources to actively support their child’s learning. It is also related to economic issues - which is not enough money to pay for the fees.

Hence, these could be reasons why most of the children could not attend kindergartens

However, early childhood education is important for social and emotional skills as preparation for formal education and fostering cultural and moral values.

Nurturing kids from young

Early childhood education helps nurture social and emotional skills of the children that are crucial for their well-being.

Children who possess social and emotional competence can better engage with people and come to constructive conclusions.

Social and emotional ability is a multifaceted concept that encompasses a variety of talents and knowledge including emotional control, self-management and emotional knowledge.

For example, parents may fail to notice certain developmental issues in their children. However, their caregiver or teacher might observe it and teach the kids the necessary skills. As teachers are professionals, they are more knowledgeable in such matters.

Furthermore, early childhood education helps kids to get ready for formal education. It helps them adjust to routines, structure and social norms so that their transition to kindergarten and beyond goes more smoothly.

Plus, such programmes present fundamental intellectual ideas such as learning numbers, letters, identifying colours and helping to prepare for further education.

Children who are already proficient in fundamental learning abilities are unlikely to have issues with reading or counting when they attend elementary school.

A brighter future for people and society at large can be shaped by early childhood education.

To guarantee the success of such programmes, we need to encourage greater public and private sector funding for Malaysia's early childhood education system.

The parties involved should hire more trained teachers and improve facilities in the kindergarten.

By working together, we can build a better future and provide high-quality education to our young ones.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.