A snag visit was conducted with the contractor, consultant and the SSDF Project Unit on August 9, 2017 regarding the Marigot Day Care centre.
Early Childhood Education (ECE) plays a significant role in the stimulation of children for their future; however, this can be hindered by various factors in the physical environment which affect them and their care takers. A great emphasis has been placed on early childhood education by the government yet there are factors which affect the quality of the service offered by government owned early childhood education facilities making private facilities the preferred option. Most children who are enrolled at the facility are from single parent families and are sometimes on a waiting list to ensure acceptance. In an attempt to upgrade the quality of service offered to staff, students and parents, improvements must be undertaken to meet the ECE standards. Staff has complained of risky equipment, no equipment, deteriorating infrastructure, and infestation of termites, poor plumbing and limited age appropriate equipment and material, limited knowledge in early childhood education practices, limited interaction with Ministry personnel and poor parenting participation in school activity. This government ECEC is housed in a community centers due to limited/available crown lands resulting in shared spaces. Consequently, expansion, upgrading and rehabilitation are the best options for improved quality of service.
Improving the conditions of the school has a number of benefits as children would be in a safer and secure environment which is important to parents. The centre provides the children with a meal(s) which has a correlation to positive learning. There is also the impact of early stimulation for improved socialization and academics. This would be achieved by supporting the humans resource with training and improving the centre’s condition.
