Theme 5: Shared understanding of importance of ECE and appropriate pedagogy

teachers was observed in the shared understanding that the preprimary teachers as well as the school leaders had on the importance of early childhood education and the appropriate pedagogy for the early years. Overall, the school had a strong focus on learning-by-doing and a multi-sensorial approach. A recurrent term used by multiple interviewees was ‘do’ or ‘doing’ in the context of how children learn. Other related terms used were ‘activity-based learning,’ ‘play-way method,’ ‘practical learning,’ ‘multi-sensorial approach,’ ‘visual learn- ing,’ and ‘learning by asking questions.’ These approaches to learning were observed during the classroom observations and documented in the TECERS tool wherein the classrooms scored well on learning activities and the use of materials to teach concepts. This is in stark contrast to the rote methods that are ubiquitous in low-fee private schools.

Preprimary coordinator on which grades had the greatest impact on life outcomes,

“Preprimary grades is the first thing. From that grade only we can mold the children. We can bring them up. That’s the right age to bring the children up.”

Principal on what pedagogy the teachers followed in the preprimary grades,

“The play-way method only. Activity based learning. We encourage that only.” LKG teacher 2 on what was the best way to teach preprimary-aged children,

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“They should not just mug up things. It should not be rote learning. Everybody can write what they have mugged up, but we should ask the kids to tell what they under- stood. Practical way is best.”

Moreover, the preprimary teachers and the school leadership also shared a common under- standing of learning goals for the preprimary grades. Apart from the academic goals of basic literacy (e.g., recognition of letters and emergent reading skills) and basic numeracy (e.g., recognition of numbers and counting), the interviewees also strongly emphasized the critical role of ECE in building a strong foundation for later learning, and further brought up the point that the early years was when the strongest impact could be made on a child’s person- ality and character. This shared belief that the early years was when a child’s behavior and character can be best molded was further reflected in the interviewees’ focus on non-aca- demic goals such as becoming independent (e.g., eating and toileting on their own), and building good habits (e.g., washing hands before meals) and good behavior (e.g., wishing teachers, sharing with others, helping others, and resolving conflicts).

Junior KG teacher 1 on her end of year goals for her students,

“When they come for LKG initially everything will be new for them... classroom is new... teachers are new. Blackboard is new... Chalk piece is new... everything will be new to them... until 3 years they did not have this exposure. I expect my children to get used to this by the end of the academic year... they should understand that school is a place to learn and develop their knowledge and teachers are there to help them. They should have learnt to understand things... they should have learnt how to talk to new people. Nowadays people rarely speak to their neighbors. Children should also learn how to share things... how to help if someone is hurt... if someone doesn’t have something, they should share with each other. I give snacks break at 3… if some kids don’t bring snacks, other kids call them and share their snacks. These are some of the expectations of the environment I want to create in my class- room. Kids shouldn’t hurt each other... shouldn’t push... shouldn’t beat. All these should be inculcated. I also feel they should obey to what teachers say.”

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The school leaders’ expectations that the preprimary teachers must be empathetic and moth- erly above all else and also that it was the role of the teachers to mold students by teaching them values further illustrates the focus on non-academic goals.

Preprimary coordinator on the role of the preprimary teachers in the classroom,

“So a teacher is not only a teacher. We know we have the saying also, teacher is the second mother, right? So teacher is not only for teaching the curriculum and she has to be like a soft touch mother also in the way the teachers speak with the children. It should have soft touch as well as hard touch. Can you understand it? She cannot always pamper the children. If they do mistake, it [teacher] should be strict and warned [children should be warned] at the correct time. This is the right age for the children to correct themselves.”

Assistant school leader on the role of the preprimary teachers in the classroom,

“So first of all, teachers should be able to take care of the children. The little kids… there will be so many things, right… we can’t expect them to be very tidy and things like that. Let’s say a kid vomits in the classroom; the teacher shouldn’t just threaten for that and be rude to the kid for that. Instead, she should be empathetic and take care. Taking care of the children I think is more important. She… a teacher… should be taking care of the children.”

The above examples are not to say that the teachers and the school leaders did not focus on or value any academic goals for the preprimary grades. On the contrary, the interviewees clearly articulated academic goals, particularly goals for English language such as recogni- tion of letter and numbers, early reading skills (reading three-letter words), speaking in Eng- lish skills (understanding simple instructions in English), reciting rhymes and narrating sto- ries. However, during the interviews, they often circled back to the non-academic goals and called out the primacy of non-academic goals over the academic goals.