By CHRISTINE MWAABA –

WHAT was once a social amenity for children has now evolved into a lucrative business?

Pre-schools equip children to face the rigours of education ahead.

But these days, pre-schools have become a business and the quality of service has taken a beating.

It looks like there has been a preschool boom in some local townships.

But what is unfortunate is the way this progress has blatantly turned into a money-making opportunity regardless of the fact that the mushrooming schools do not have proper hygiene and safety space for children.

Pre-school education lays the foundation for any child, and naturally, it has been observed that preschools have rapidly increased and with them has come some schools that are improper.

Is it that pre-schools have become a mere money spinner that people are only interested in it as a commercial activity and not take into consideration the quality of education the learners are receiving?

A check by this author in Lusaka’s Kanyama and John Laing townships revealed an escalation of ramshackle pre-schools.

This raises questions as to whether there is any regulatory body to monitor the goings-on of these schools.

Martin Lumbwe, a concerned parent from Kanyama, said the reason behind the setting up of what he calls “Kantemba” (makeshift) pre-schools is because the pre-school concept has been reduced to a mere money-making business. Other concerns are not taken into account.

The owners of the schools do not see the importance of other aspects that are supposed to be well thought-out before setting up pre-school.

Mr Lumbwe expressed worry that children from these facilities are expected to learn certain skills in an environment that has potential to put their health at risk.

“It’s sad that those in this line of business are there to make money and they do not care about how conducive their environment they put the children in is,” he said.

He said many of the pre-schools in his area are run with the sole aim of making profit and not to deliver quality education.

He explained that a pre-school is an extension of the child’s home and hence it is a home away from home and should help children in their transition from home to school.

Therefore, it would be good if all pre-schools function in a suitable environment that will later prepare the children for their next level of education.

Another concerned parent, Mervice Lunga, says the reason why parents take their children to these schools is because they are less costly.

She says schools fees in such schools are quite low as compared to well established pre schools which are often expensive.

“If the school is well endowed with all the standards, as the parent you will without a doubt know that it is expensive and that’s why we resort to these low standard pre-schools which are often illegal. They tend to be affordable to send children there,” she said.

Pondamali Primary School teacher Bridget Banda has expressed concern about some of the pre-schools that hire untrained teachers who lack the necessary skills to impart the right education in children.

“Children are taught by these individuals who are not trained and as a result the children are taught in an improper way,” Ms Banda said.

She says the most important part of dealing with children is to ensure that the staff and teachers handling the children should acquire necessary skills.

Ms Banda says it is unfortunate that most teachers employed in most of the mushrooming pre-schools are not trained to manage and handle children.

“Understanding child behaviour and teaching children requires well qualified, certified, and trained personnel, which many pre-schools clearly do not have,” she said.

She notes that most of the pre-schools do not have a curriculum to follow because there is no Government body that regulates pre-schools or their curriculum.

As a result, teachers end up teaching their own version of what they think is the curriculum.

Ms Banda said it is imperative to realise that a well researched and defined curriculum sets the standards of learning skills, life skills and educational skills that should be developed in the child.

An absence of a properly drafted curriculum significantly affects the cognitive and learning abilities of the child.

She says while the process of promoting child development is wanting, the environmental standard for the learners equally leaves much to be desired.

Ms Banda says it is vital to have a regulatory framework to control and monitor the care and education of children in pre-school stage.

There must be some mechanism with the Government to monitor and regulate these institutions. Besides, the staff must be qualified in handling the tiny tots.

She says early childhood programs are aimed at helping in the child’s development in readiness for elementary education.

Ministry of General Education public relations officer Hilarly Chipango says the ministry will close down all the private nursery schools that are operating illegally.

Mr Chipango said it is an offence to run a pre-school that is not registered with the ministry.

“Days are numbered for those pre-school owners that are operating illegally. We are moving in to shut down all of them,” he said.

Mr Chipango has since advised all those interested in setting up a pre-school to register with the directorate of early child education under the ministry before they begin to operate.

He said the reason for registering these pre-school entrepreneurs is to let the ministry counter check if the environment they operate and put the children in is habitable.

He says setting up an illegal pre- school or education facility is an offence for which one can be arrested.

The role of pre-school education is providing an early platform for developing the cognitive and emotive skills of children.

If start up pre- school owners can adhere to certain criteria and minimum infrastructure requirements, it would stop those wanting to offer childhood education in buildings that are unhealthy and risky for the children.

This calls for authorities to make certain guidelines and encourage the development of good quality schools that adhere to required standards which benefits the children.