The Explorer Islamabad: Journal of Social Sciences

ISSN: 2411-0132(E), 2411-5487(P)

Vol-2, Issue (2):46-48
www.theexplorerpak.org

PERCEPTION OF PARENTS ABOUT EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Sajida Iqbal
Department of Anthropology, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi
Corresponding Author:
Sajida Iqbal
PMS-Agriculture University Rawalpindi
sajidarajput@hotmail.com
Abstract: Early childhood development and education deals with physical care and education of young children
from birth to eight years of age. These early years are very much important to learn and absorb more information
than later. Brain develops and grows rapidly during these years. In Pakistan the term Early Childhood Education is
generally understood as pre-primary education. The objective of this research is to understand the perception of
parents about the appropriate age of child at time of admission in pre-primary level and the importance of Early
Childhood Education. A quantitative study is conducted in different areas of Islamabad with 21 respondents using
snow ball technique. The results shows that age of 3 to 4 years is suitable age to take admission and majority
accept the importance of early childhood education.

Key Words: Early Childhood Education, Pre-primary Education, learning, cognitive development
INTRODUCTION
Early childhood development and education
basically deals with physical care and education
of young children from birth to eight years of age.
It is regarded as a recent development in most of
Asian countries (Fagbeminiyi 2010).
The importance and value of education in early
years of life have been acknowledged for more
than 2000 years. The early education system in
the United States grew substantially as emerging
need due to fundamental changes in family life
during the second half of twentieth century.
These changes include raising living cost,
increased number of dual income families, an
increased in single parent family, increased
number of teenage parent and decrease in the
impact of extended family. This allowed the
majority of American children to have access to
some form of early childhood education.
The ECE can be grouped by the age of children. It
is grouped from birth to eight years which include
infants, toddlers, preschooler, kindergartners
and children in the primary grades (Essa 2007).
Number of studies revealed that learning starts
from the mother womb (Rohani 2010) and
parents can help their babys natural cognitive
development by interacting with baby by talking,
singing and reading story books.
These early years are most important to learn and
absorb more information than later on. The brain
develops and grows rapidly during these years.
Better environment and trained teachers give

everlasting results in child development.

Generally ECE covered personal, social, and
emotional development, communication, general
knowledge, numeracy, play and physical
development (Curtis and O'Hagan 2003).
A number of theorists argued that play has a
crucial role in children learning like Fredrich
Frobel, Herbret Spencer, Karl Groos and G.Stanlly
Hall.
Sigmund Freud wrote that every child at play
behaves like an imaginative writer, in that
hecreates a world of his own or, more truly, he
arranges the things of this world and orders it in a
new way that pleases him better. Play enables
children to express themselves completely,
without reservation or reprisal, because children
at play feel safe. Usually Children use toys and
other materials to express their feelings and
ideas, which they are unable to verbalize (Curtis
and O'Haga 2003).
Another group of theorists emphasized on
cognitive development and learning. The term
Cognitive development is described in a medical
dictionary by Farlex as the development of
intelligence, conscious thought and problem
solving ability that begins in infancy. In
encyclopedia of childrens health it is defined as
the construction of thought processes, including
remembering, problem solving, and decisionmaking, from childhood through adolescence to
adulthood.

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The name of Jean Piaget is more important

among them. He believes that child constructs
his own understanding about the world (Curtis
and O'Hagan 2003). Children learn about the
world through their senses and perceptions.
Researcher have shown that senses help babies
to develop ideas about themselves and the world
at very early age and gradually they link these
early ideas with present experiences. Piaget gives
the name of schemas to these early concepts or
ideas.
Another researcher, Athey, carried out a research
from 1972 to 1977 to investigate the use of these
schemas in children learning. She describes the
schema as a pattern of repeatable and
generalizable actions. (Curtis and O'Hagan 2003).
Piaget outlined the stages of cognitive
development including the sensorimotor,
preoperational,
operational
and
formal
operational periods that are so well known in
early childhood education (Edward 2009).
Parents play key roles in early childhood
education. They believe in the significance of
education and they expect the best for children
and try to keep children happy in school
environment. Parents play an important role to
deal with the problems faced by children in early
years of school. Their interest in children
education and emotional support helps children
to learn. On the other hand when parents
pressurize or control children extracurricular
activities they lose their interest in education and
do not enjoy the activities. Children at their early
age need encouragement to develop positive
attitude. Different studies prove that early
childhood education enhance literacy skills,
ability to learn and improve ability to
communicate with others. Good ECE increases
cognitive abilities, educational achievements,
classroom behavior, and decrease grade
repetition among children.
In Pakistan, Education Conference 1947
recognized the importance of Nursery class as an
integral part of mainstream education but till
1950s it was hardly introduced at school level. Till
1980s the educational policy specifically for ECE
was not developed. In 1992 Katchi classes were
formally recognized in national educational policy
with high priority and as support service for
working women belonging to poorer sections.
Early childhood education is an international
slogan replacing our traditional Katchi class.

Government of Pakistan accepts the importance

of ECE but still a lot has to do at policy level.
In 2000 the Government of Pakistan has signed
the Education For All (EFA) Declaration in 2000 at
Dakar Conference with commitment to achieve
six goals of EFA. One of these is expanding and
improving comprehensive early childhood care
and education (EFA 2004).
Generally, In Pakistan, Early Childhood Education
means Pre-Primary level which consists of one
year and some part of grade one syllabus being
taught at this level. In public schools the
minimum age limit for class prep is four year. It is
totally free of cost. According to 25 (A), The
Constitution of Pakistan, The State shall provide
free and compulsory education to all children of
the age five to sixteen years, in such a manner as
may be determined by law (The Constitution of
Pakistan 1973).
On the other hand private schools have more
established system of ECE. The minimum age
limit for preprimary level is of three years and it
consists of three years. Every school has its own
syllabus for each class of preprimary level. Each
private school has its own fee structure.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Considering the practice of two deferent models
of ECE in, a descriptive research was conducted to
know the general perceptions of parents about
the suitable age to get admission in preprimary
level, importance of preprimary level and reasons
for not choosing government schools. The data
was
collected
from
twenty
parents
(mother/father) whose children were enrolled in
preprimary level in different private schools,
living in different areas of Islamabad.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In Pakistan early childhood education is
considered as pre-primary education. Regarding
the appropriate age limit to take admission in
preprimary level falls between three and four
years. A consensus found between three and four
years with the percentage of 38.1 each.
Government of Pakistan has also set the age
policy of 3-5 for admission in preprimary level.
But regarding length of preprimary level, majority
is in the favor of two years (Table.1.1) while
according to National Education Policy at least
one year preprimary education shall be provided
by the state.

47

4th Edition, Annotated Students Edition.

Thomson Nelson.

Table. 1: Length of Preprimary level

No. of Years
Percentage
One Year
28.6
Two Years
38.1
Three Years
33.3
Majority has understood the importance of ECE
or preprimary education considering it as an
opportunity of socialization, to get familiar with
school environment, opportunity of learning and
play at safe environment.
Respondents gave different reasons to not to opt
the government schools but most common
reason was low standard of education. (Table 1.2)
Table.2: Reasons for do not opt Govt. Schools

Reasons
Percentage
Low standard of Education
61.9
Long distance
9.5
Age limit
4.8
Low infrastructure
4.8
Low level of care
4.8
Over-crowded classes
4.8
Urdu medium of education
4.8
Unfriendly environment
4.8
Positive results found regarding school
environment and teaching methodology. 85%
parents reported that their children feel happy to
go to school. 90.5 % parents said that children get
homework but only 76.2% parents reported that
their children willingly do their homework.
Considering the importance of play in education
at this level 71.4 % parents told that extracurricular activities are regularly included in their
school schedule.
REFERENCES
Curtis, Audrey, and Maureen O'Hagan
2003 Care and Education in Early
Childhood: A Student's Guide to Theory
and Practice. Routledge.
Edward, Susan
2009 Early Childhood Education and
Care; A Socio-cultural Approach. New
South Wales, Pademelon Press.
Essa, Eva L.
2007

EFA
2004 Early
Childhood
Regional
Capacity-Building
Initiative
http://www.unesco.org/education/efa/k
now_sharing/flagship_initiatives/early_ch
ildhood.shtml
Fagbeminiyi, Fasina F.
2011 The Role of Parents in Early
Childhood Education: A Case Study of
Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria. Global
Journal of Human Social Science11(2).
Rohani, Cyrus
2010
Early
Childhood
Education.
Journal of College Teaching & Learning
7(1): 13-16.
The Constitution of Pakistan.
1973 The Constitution of the Islamic
Republic
of
Pakistan
http://www.na.gov.pk/uploads/documen
ts/1333523681_951.pdf
Publication Date: Feb-29 -2016
2016 The Explorer Islamabad Journal of Social Sciences-Pakistan

Introduction to Early Childhood,

48