21st June, 2014
The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), on Friday, said it had set up a School for Early Childhood and Primary Education (SECPED) for training of specialised teachers.
Dr Ganiyu Olaosun, the Dean, SECPED, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED) Ijanikin, Lagos, told NAN in Lagos that there was the need for teachers to specialise in early childhood education.
He said that before now, teachers were being trained in general education to enable them to teach various subjects in primary schools.
Olaosun said the school came about through re-orientation programme to emphasise professionalism and specialisation in early childhood, due to its importance to national growth.
“We think that early childhood is perhaps the background.
“But in our system before now, some students have not been supported from their early ages to understand that Nigeria is their own.
“We feel that if we promote early childhood programme, we will have citizens who are more committed, loyal and interested in national growth.
“We will also have people who believe that the society is interested in their growth, and this should be taken seriously and not regarded as a waste of money.”
The dean said countries that were progressing had more patriotic, committed and loyal citizens because of their exposure to early childhood education.
The lecturer said early childhood education was for children between 0-5 years, while primary education was from age 6-12; “but according to UNICEF standard, it is 0-18.”
He, however, said AOCOED had the privilege to be the first tertiary institution to initiate the SECPED concept in the country.
Dr Fowowe Simeon, the Head of Department of Early Childhood Education of AOCOED said the importance of early childhood education in the life of a child should not be compromised.
“There has been this negligence of the early years, and the only thing that will rejuvenate it is to establish a school where teachers can be trained to impact it,” he said.
Fowowe said no fewer than 1,500 public schools in Lagos State have what was called linkage classes, known as nursery classes in private school.
He said government should invest in early childhood education if the country wanted to move to a higher level.