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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
Course of Study
The course will cover the history and development of early childhood education in the Caribbean, as well the importance of promoting children’s sensory, motor, social and emotional development from conception through middle childhood. The emphasis will be placed on child development theories, including domains and stages of learning, and promoting appropriate behaviours in children. The course will also emphasize the importance of children’s play for development and learning.
This course presents an overview of the knowledge and skills that are needed to develop and present an appropriate curriculum and the learning environment for young children from birth to age 8. The course will examine the teacher's role in facilitating learning and supporting development of the child. This course will introduce participants to learning through play which is the central principle of learning at the early childhood level. It will look at integrated learning and explore observation and assessment strategies. This course also seeks to emphasize the role that the teacher-child relationship plays in child development in all domains of learning. The course also seeks to highlight the critical importance of keeping records on students’ profile.
Participants will visit an early childhood institution for 2 days and be introduced to positive interaction strategies to promote young children's development and facilitate learning both indoor and outdoor as well as observe the importance of children's play for development and learning.
This course will provide the foundation information for promoting health, safety and nutrition for our young children. Health, safety and nutrition are fundamental issues for early childhood development and as such every early childhood practitioner should know the factors that influence the wellbeing of the child. It explores the provision of healthy practices, the value of a balanced nutrition to enhance children’s growth, development and learning; and the need for a safe environment for children to learn. The course introduces some of the approaches and activities for creating healthy environments for children to work, play and rest and identifies some of the local health, nutrition and safety entities which can be contacted for guidance and assistance.
The course will provide an overview of how the early childhood practitioner works with families and the communities in the education, care and development of the child. Community resources and advocacy for children will be explored. This course will explore school, parent and community working relationship. The course will also introduce participants to the family unit and the parents’ role in being the primary educator. The importance of the contribution of the parents and the wider community, and the home/school relationship will be highlighted.
This practicum is for two days and the participant will look at roles and responsibilities of early childhood administrators in the management of early childhood institutions by shadowing a Principal of such institution. Participants will be exposed to the principles and practices related to the management of the financial, human and physical resources.
