As
a starting point it's a good idea to ask friends, family and any other parents
you know in your local area whether they have heard, or experienced, good or
bad things with any of the nurseries near you as word of mouth is a really good
starting point from which to begin investigating.
It's
important to start with the basics when narrowing down your search for a good
nursery. The following criteria are absolute essentials and you should check
that a nursery complies completely with these basics before it wins a place on
your list of one of the nurseries you may take your “baby” to.
- Qualified staff - At the very least 50% of the nursery staff should be
qualified with a relevant childcare qualification. Additionally, at least
one member of staff should hold basic training in first aid and care. To
be sure about this very important basic requirement, a parent has the
right to ask the head teacher about his/her teachers’ qualifications and
if possible even have a look at the staff profile and their
qualifications.
- Registration - By law all childcare providers that look after
children under the age of 8 must register with the education department at
the District level in the office of the District Education officer. (Read
more about this in the early child development policy 2007). So this is an important requirement and
I request the parents to first check before entrusting their children with
a certain given school.. Either ask to see the nursery's registration
certificate in person or contact your local leaders about this issue
- Staff to child ratios - Generally the more staff and the smaller the group of
children in their care the better. However, at a minimum you should look
for a nursery that is able to meet the following ratios on all occasions. For children aged 0-2 there should be a
maximum of 4 children per adult, for infants aged 2-3 there should be a
maximum of 10 children per adult care giver and for children aged 3-5
there should be no more than 15 children in the care of any one adult.
- Health & safety - It's vital that any nursery you consider provides
your child with a clean, safe environment in which to learn, grow and
develop; even on basic appearances a nursery should look well looked after
and organized. The kitchen, bathrooms and play areas should be regularly
cleaned and well maintained and toys and equipment should all be in good
condition and there should be no visible hazards to your child's safety at
all.
- Structured curriculum - Any 'good' nursery school should have a structured
curriculum that allows time for learning as well as play. Ideally, a
nursery should dedicate time throughout the week for physical activity (if
they have an outside 'run around' space all the better), individual as
well as group learning, quiet time and activities that allow infants to
develop and express their creativity. The National curriculum development
Centre has developed the Pre primary learning framework and it is a requirement
for all the nursery schools in Uganda. Unfortunately some teachers and
caregivers in some schools have not had the opportunity to access or look
at this learning frame work and therefore lack a well structured
curriculum.
- Security - You should be confident that any nursery you consider
is able to provide a completely safe environment for your child. Check
that there is no way for your child to either leave the building or for an
unauthorized visitor to enter the building without being seen by a member
of staff.
Once you've discovered whether a nursery meets the basic 'good nursery'
criteria, then I advise parents to look at these important aspects of how to
send their children to school. Things to consider include:
Cost - Obviously cost is going to be an influencing factor as to which
nursery you choose for your child. I would like to advise the parents to be
careful since some of the nursery schools are unnecessarily expensive. The
challenge is that the Government has left Pre-Primary education to the private
sector or individuals who are mainly business minded at the expense of pedagogy
and professionalism. While you will want
to get your little one the best care possible it's important not to overstretch
yourself financially as having a happy parent who isn't stressed and working
the whole time to pay for nursery fees will be better for your child's
development.
- Travel - The journey to and from nursery school will be an
important factor to consider when choosing a nursery school. A long journey will add travel time to
your child. Most of the nursery schools provide transport facilities to
the children which has saved the parents the burden of picking their
children from school given their tight work schedules, however sometimes
this arrangement is abused by making children who are as young as 3 years
old to leave home as early as 5 am in the morning and to return home from
school so late. This reduces the amount of time the parents spend with
their little ones at home. Ensure any nursery school you consider is
within a realistic distance.
- The menu - It's essential that any nursery you choose is able to
provide a healthy, balanced meal plan for your child. A good nursery
should include lots of variety in the menu as well as regular snacks and
drinks. It's also a good idea to check whether they are able to
accommodate any special dietary requirements.
The environment
As any nursery you entrust with looking after your little one will be their primary carer for at least part of the day therefore it is important that you are happy with the environment your child will be left in as well as their approach to 'parenting'. It's a good idea to find out:
As any nursery you entrust with looking after your little one will be their primary carer for at least part of the day therefore it is important that you are happy with the environment your child will be left in as well as their approach to 'parenting'. It's a good idea to find out:
- What kind of space there is for
your child to play in. Will they be able to spend time running around
outdoors as well as playing inside?
- What approach the staff use for
important elements of your child's care such as discipline, meal times,
sleep, changing (some will require you to use reusable while others prefer
disposables), potty training, education and play.
- Whether other parents are happy
with the care their child is receiving.
- Whether the staff are happy in
their jobs. Content, well looked after staff are less likely to leave and
more likely to provide your child with a stable, enthusiastic level of
care.
What extent of one-to-one time your child will receive from
nursery staff each day, whether they practice daily reading and if a TV is ever
used to entertain the children
As
you prepare to take your children to the most important stage of learning t, I request
that you carry out the basic checks such that you able to find a good nursery
school that is able to create a happy interesting environment for your little
one. It is a difficult decision to make but by making a good research, you will
be able find a good nursery school that will suit your needs.
Ziraba Abdallah Ndifuna
Education Officer/Lecturer Islamic University In
Uganda
Email: aziraba@educ.mak.ac.ug
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