Early Childhood Development (ECD)
- The Early Childhood Development Policy in the Education Sector approved in 2007 stresses the importance of Early Childhood Education; the early stimulation of different parts of the brain to provide social and learning advancement throughout life. Such care does not produce a self-centred child, but rather a child, who trusts, is curious, strives to learn new things and is skilful in social interaction.NCDC has developed the Learning Framework for Early Childhood and a Caregivers Guide to the Learning Framework to help in the enhancement of Early Childhood Education.
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The Learning Framework for Early Childhood (3- 6 Years)
The production of the Learning Framework for Early Childhood by NCDC is a major breakthrough for ECD, and great encouragement for all stakeholders committed to the education sector.
The Framework is outcomes and competence based. It focuses on results rather than on goals, aims and objectives, and greatly emphasises observable and measurable skills, competences and values to be acquired by the children. The Learning Framework strictly condemns examinations that are given to young children; great emphasis is put on Continuous Assessment.
- It has been designed to allow every Ugandan child to enjoy the right to development, whether at home, in a formal or a semi–formal pre-school setting. For effective implementation, the framework was translated into 16 local languages namely: Runyankole/Rukiga; Runyoro/Rutoro; Alur; Lugbara; Acholi; Nagaramajongo; Ateso; Lango; Dhapodhola; Lubwisi; Lukonzo; Luganda; Lugbarati.
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Caregivers Guide to the Learning Framework (3 – 6 Years)
This Guide provides guidance on how to assess the child, record the progress, and report to those who need the progress reports on the child. This allows for regular monitoring of individual learners’ progress, diagnosis of learning difficulties and providing necessary assistance.
The Caregiver’s Guide also provides information on the teaching and learning experiences that enhance the holistic development of a child. Emphasis is on learner-centeredness, and provides for increased learner-teacher contact time, different ability groups and use of familiar language for initial literacy.
Care should be taken in handling children at this stage because any mistake made may have a lasting impact on the learner. All stakeholders should play their role in ensuring proper childhood development.
- All Pre-Primary and Primary School
