Certificate in Early Childhood Education Care And Development (Ececd)
Introduction
Early childhood care and education makes a positive contribution to well-being of young children. A growing body of research on brain development shows that experiences that children have in the first five years of life have a decisive and long lasting impact on all areas of children’s later development.
This continuing education (CE) programme in Early Childhood Education Care and Development (ECECD) is a new programme to be offered by the UWI Open Campus starting in Academic Year 2017/2018. Continuing education is used in this context to mean the post-secondary education, training and development that individuals undertake for personal enrichment and for furthering their secondary education experiences and qualifications. This CE programme is a non-credit academic programme, and neither does it offer professional licensing certification. The primary purpose of the programme is to provide an alternative learning pathway for early childhood workers and others who wish to pursue an undergraduate degree in early childhood education. It also designed to expose individuals who are new, or are already working in the field, to the fundamentals of early childhood care and education.
Programme Aims And Objectives
- provide general care to children from birth to eight years, based on child development theories which promote holistic development of the child
- prepare and carry out activities that stimulate and enhance children’s learning experiences
- understand and apply the basic principles of operating an early childhood institution
- communicate effectively with children, families and communities
- develop the right attitude in caring for children
- provide a safe, healthy, comfortable and pleasant environment for children to learn, play and rest
- provide the basic needs to children in respect of the Articles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
- demonstrate a professional attitude and strong work ethics in carrying out their responsibilities as early childhood practitioners
Who Is The Programme For?
- Individuals in the early childhood environment (pre-schools, day-care centres, etc.) with no formal training or are seeking to upgrade themselves in the field
- Untrained individuals with at least three years’ experience working in an early childhood setting
- Individuals who have completed Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) Levels I and II or the equivalent training in Early Childhood Development
- Individuals who are desirous of embarking on a career in early childhood care and education but do not have the lower level entry requirements to matriculate
Programme Structure
Course Codes | Course Titles | Continuing Education Units |
Semester I | ||
EDUC 025 | Introduction to Early Childhood Education | 3.0 |
EDUC 026 | Principles of Teaching Young Children | 3.0 |
EDUC 027 | The Learning Environment – Two day field visit. (Please see course outline for more details.) |
n/a |
EDUC 028 | Introduction to Health, Safety and Nutrition | 3.0 |
EDUC 029 | Working with Family and Community | 3.0 |
EDUC 030 | Administration of the Early Childhood Institution - Two day field visit. (Please see course outline for more details.) |
n/a |
When Will The Programme Start?
How Do I Apply?
Kindly contact an Open Campus Country Site location nearest to you for further information on the application process.
Entry Requirements
(a) Holders of any one of the following certification:
- Caribbean Secondary Examinations Certificate (CSEC) – 3 or less subjects General Proficiency
- Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC)
- Caribbean Secondary Examinations Certificate (CSEC) – Basic Proficiency
- Jamaica School Certificate (JSC) or its equivalence;
- Secondary School Certificate (SSC)
- High School Diploma Equivalency (HSDE)
- National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) or Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) Level I or Level II in Early Childhood Development.
Programme Duration
How Much Will This Programme Cost?
The cost for this programme may be obtained at Open Campus Country Sites. Please contact your nearest Open Campus Site for information on the cost for this programme.
Assessment Structure
Requirements For The Award Of The Certificate
- four theoretical courses with 3.0 CEUs per course - 4 x 3 = 12.0 CEUs
- two guided practical courses with in-field components