His Majesty the King has always emphasized the importance of the Bhutanese youth and has referred to them as the “future of Bhutan.” Early education is the foundation that nurture thoughts, attitudes and actions of young children. Not only does it sensitize children about the world in which they live in but also eases their transition into society. The benefits of ECCD centers have been observed and felt, especially by the parents. This has led to a growing demand for ECCD centers in various communities across the country. However, the growth of ECCD centers is not without challenges. With its capacity to impact the future of Bhutan, it is essential to overcome those challenges and establish a strong, functioning early education system in place.
In the country, there are 495 Early Childhood Care and Development centers, both public and private, catering to 8,026 students (Rinzin, 2021). Early Childhood Care and Development program is crucial for the development of basic skills in children. In Bhutan, ECCD services encompass children from birth to 8 years of age. It is during the early stages of life where children are very curious and are beginning to learn about the world around them. Hence, it is necessary to strengthen and consolidate ECCD centers in the country.
ECCD centers play a significant role in the lives of children as it is an environment where they develop social, motor and cognition skills with other peers. It acts as a preparatory platform for the children to have a smooth transition to schools. A study carried out in 2018 showed that enrollment in ECCD centers prior to schooling brought about lesser repetition in class PP and a difference in achievement among students of class three (C Dorji, 2021).
Besides molding young minds, ECCD centers have provided great relief to working parents, both in urban and rural areas. Parents have stated that the centers were a safe space for them to drop their children while they were working (Dema & Lhamo, 2021). This has not only reduced the burden on parents to find babysitters but also provided communities with a safe environment for their children to play and learn. As a result, there is a high demand for ECCDs from parents and communities (Drukpa, 2021)
Nonetheless, there are several issues impeding the performance of ECCD centers. The shortage of facilitators is a huge obstacle. Even if centers are built, the dearth of facilitators result in locked up centers, as is the case in Goomkarmo, Punakha (C Dorji, 2021) and in Ngawang Dramtoe, Samtse (S Dorji, 2019b). Unfortunately, there are more than 100 ECCDs without facilitators currently.
Communities have requested for facilitators in local meetings and the education ministry has put up the request to RCSC but in vain (S Dorji, 2019b). The recruitment of facilitators faces bureaucratic red tapes which in turn leave constructed ECCDs empty and locked up. This becomes ironical when unemployment is on the rise in the country. Moreover, the lack of professional development for facilitators hamper recruitment and retention of employees (Rinzin, 2021)
Despite the challenges, ECCD centers have positively impacted the lives of children, particularly in remote areas. For instance, in Gengkhar Tashigang, children receive freshly prepared lunches as part of an initiative by the ECCD and the parents. It has helped bring about 100% attendance from the kids (Darjay, 2021).
This illustrates that ECCD centers serve to fulfill not only the needs of education for children but also that of nutrition and safety. Furthermore, to ensure no child gets left behind, there is also an ongoing effort to build an inclusive ECCD at Changangkha to cater to children with special needs (Pem, 2020).
Thus, the immediate way forward to tackle the shortage of facilitators would be to revisit the bureaucracy surrounding the recruitment, with provisions of the required capacity building trainings. In the long run, it is also in the hands of the policy makers to turn the job into a career that equals its importance. Secondly, it is critical to plan HR for ECCDs before building facilities. Third, inclusive ECCDs should not be limited to only urban areas. Based on the model in Thimphu, a pilot for an inclusive ECCD center should be carried out in a rural setting. Likewise, for scattered settlements, mobile ECCDs should be first explored in the form of pilots rather than a full-scale project. These pilots could be scaled up accordingly and could serve as examples for other areas. Moreover, initiatives for ECCDs such as the example aforementioned of hot meals should be recognized and encouraged.
Investment in our children is the basis of forming mindful, curious and productive citizens. Instead of complaining about the fruits, let us first nurture the seeds.
References
Darjay, S. (2021, May 20). Gengkhar ECCD, the only ECCD that provides day meal. BBS. Retrieved from http://www.bbs.bt/news/?p=149731
Dema, C., & Lhamo, P. (2020, July 11). Working parents await ECCD reopening. Kuensel. Retrieved from https://kuenselonline.com/working-parents-await-eccd-reopening/
Dorji, C. (2021, June 12). Lack of ECCD facilitators hampering children’s learning, Punakha. BBS. Retrieved from http://www.bbs.bt/news/?p=151537
Dorji, S. (2019, September 7). ECCD centres unutilised due to lack of facilitators, Samtse. BBS. Retrieved from http://www.bbs.bt/news/?p=120726
Dorji, S. (2019, November 8). An ECCD centre constructed 3 years ago for Lhops, and still without a facilitator. BBS. Retrieved from http://www.bbs.bt/news/?p=123702
Drukpa, U. (2021, March 6). All ECCD centers must have at least 25 percent of trained facilitators. The Bhutanese. Retrieved from https://thebhutanese.bt/all-eccd-centers-must-have-at-least-25-percent-of-trained-facilitators/
Drukpa, U. (2021, August 14). More than 100 newly established government ECCD centers without facilitators. The Bhutanese. Retrieved from https://thebhutanese.bt/more-than-100-newly-established-government-eccd-centers-without-facilitators/
Pem, S. (2020, October 14). MoE to establish a model inclusive ECCD centre, Thimphu. BBS. Retrieved from http://www.bbs.bt/news/?p=137478
Rinzin, Y.C. (2021, July 6). 100 percent ECCD enrollment by 2030? Kuensel. Retrieved from https://kuenselonline.com/100-percent-eccd-enrollment-by-2030/
