Early childhood education is key 

They are still more challenges being experienced by the early learning centers such as poor learning environment, poor hygiene, unqualified teachers, inadequate instructional materials, poor infrastructures and inappropriate structures like play centers, classroom blocks among others.

Additionally, this has been worsened by the outbreak of Covid-19 rendering the essence of the programme close to useless. 

Yes, it is true that prior to Covid-19 interruption of schools, early learning and development in Uganda had already been compromised by lack of pre-schools and other early childhood development programmes. One out of every 10 children aged three is enrolled in pre-primary education. 

But, no doubt, the programme has been worsened by Covid-19 based on the fact that the nursery institutions of learning have not been opened since the first closure of schools that occurred on March 18, 2020. 

Sadly, most people do not want to support such a programme because they believe that it is just wastage of time and money often hard worked for.  

It is a significant time in children’s lives for them to be able to learn how to interact with others, including peers, teachers, parents and also develop interests that will stay with them throughout their lives and learn critical social and emotional skills.

We appreciate the few centres that have been set up to support the programme, 80 per cent being run by the private sector and created specifically in urban areas where a few know the importance of early child learning and can afford the costs. 

We cannot leave the government’s efforts invested in the programme unappreciated but we call upon it to invest more funds to revamp the programme to achieve its intended purpose. 

For a better Education, every child should go through either of the ECE recognised four programmes of day care centres, home based centres, community centers and nursery centres.

In response to Covid-19, the minister for Education, Ms Janet Museveni, reported that childhood development centres would not re-open until the pandemic is dealt with to enforce the Standard Operating procedures (SOPs).  

Children aged three to six years are the most affected learners because once the stage is missed, the recovery becomes difficult thus denying them the chance of developing their brains thus giving them hard time in the next levels.

The government should urgently find a way forward to ensure early childhood education and development is back again. There have been models in technological progress of Zoom, smart team, among others. I call on the government to try and incorporate them to revamp and ensure early childhood education programme continues. 

This should be backed with sensitisation to parents especially those in the rural areas who still have a belief that educating a young child as early as three years is a waste of time and money. Parent-teacher connections should also be established. 

For Uganda to upgrade to a middle-income country in the future, such programmes should be treated with the seriousness they deserve. 

I urge the government to collaborate with the private sector, CSOs, NGOs, faith based organisations, and CBOs among others to ensure that early learning programme can achieve its intended objectives.

Ms Hildah Nsimiire works with Great Lakes Institute for Strategic Studies