Masters degree needed for pre-school teachers

When the move of the Department of Education becomes final, it would not only be teachers in tertiary education that would be required to have a master’s degree but also those that teach preschool education.

Under its Preschool Education Program, the education department has contended that the move would complement the government’s efforts to provide intensive training and access to quality education for preschoolers, something that the City Council supports.

In a resolution by councilor Arsenio Pacaña, the Council said that the move of DepEd would further complement the move of the city government to put up 110 daycare centers with preschool training this year. The city has identified the need to make preschool training accessible to all public elementary schools in the city particularly in the rural and mountain barangays where there are no preschools.

DepEd earlier said it would hire 10,000 preschool teachers also this year.

“With DepEd’s pronouncement to hire 10,000 preschool teachers for the year 2008 and the city government’s commitment to put up 110 daycare centers with preschool training, it is high time that quality education for all preschoolers who are in the crucial stage of their mental growth be given the utmost priority,” Pacaña said.

Pacaña also said that the recent National Achievement Test wherein many grade school pupils fared poorly in English and Math is partly attributed to “poor foundation” particularly during their formative years.

“The fact that children under five years old can be admitted to grade one or grade school without attending preschool stages, essential to the so-called formative years of our children, could be one of the factors for the poor performance of elementary or grade-school students,” he said.

To enable children to get quality education especially during their formative years, the City Council believes that the move of the DepEd to require preschool teachers to have a master’s degree is a sound proposal.

The Council said that requiring preschool teachers to have at least a master’s degree qualification would complement the proposed plan to provide preschoolers early access to quality education.

“Considering that preschoolers are still in their formative years, providing them with quality education and intensive training under the care of competent and qualified preschool teachers would definitely help our school children perform better when they reach elementary or high school,” the Council said.

Also, the council said this move would certainly provide a viable solution to the usual dilemma on the poor performance of grade school pupils of public schools in achievement tests. — Joeberth M. Ocao/MEEV