Transitional stage for children to learn and grow

I. Christianto Contributor Jakarta

The number of preschools in the country continues to increase from day to day as more parents feel that such educational facilities are important for the next stage of their children's education.

Preschools are not only designed as a place to take care of small children while their parents are working. They are certainly more than that.

They offer educational formats, methods, systems or curricula, which do not only give young children a high level of care but also an educational process that can stimulate their social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development.

Usually, a good nursery school applies structured play activities, assisting the children to develop their motor skills, improve their communication abilities and train their creativity.

Children will also be able to develop their social skills as they have playmates. They will also learn how to socialize and interact with their same-age friends.

At preschool, children are also expected to promote self- esteem, independence, and a sense of identity. Through their experiences in the preschool, children are also expected to gain a positive attitude toward the forthcoming school experience, so that they will not be shocked by the dramatic change.

Reshma Bhojwani of Kiddie Planet, a preschool located in Sunter, North Jakarta, said that preschool years were designed to take advantage of the most sensitive years for the child, between the ages of one-and-a-half and six years, when a child can most easily absorb academic basics from a nurturing environment.

"At the same time they encourage social skills and genial interaction with peers. Preschool years are very important because these are the formative years of a child, a foundation for his learning process," she said.

Preschool years, therefore, help the child to adapt to a learning absorbing and understanding process, which he or she will continue to use through his or her lifetime, she said.

Kiddie planet, which was founded by Reshma and Shareen Ratnani, will only start to receive students in the second quarter of this year.

Kiddie Planet combines international preschool and the Montessori curriculum. Besides offering a combination of two of the best curriculums currently available, the preschool has a very spacious environment, which is very conducive to the child's learning process as well as for play.

"All other facilities have been meticulously planned, keeping safety as the number one priority," said Reshma.

Shareen added, as a Montessori Plus preschool, Kiddie Planet was for children aged 18 months to six years and also provided a 300-square-meter outdoor play area with a pet center.

"We have a very spacious lobby to welcome parents and children, an indoor sand room with three-dimensional paintings of the beach on the walls, specially created for children to enjoy and experience being by the beach." she added

The Montessori method and educational toys are indeed the important things at most preschools.

Chan, director of Bambino Preschool, said his institution also adopted combined teaching methods, including a Montessori curriculum.

Montessori is a progressive system of education for early childhood through adolescence, developed in the first half of the twentieth century by Maria Montessori (1870-1952), an Italian physician turned educator.

Some references say that the Montessori educational methods are based on individualized, self-directed study, with children choosing the activities they want to work on and proceeding at their own pace, either alone or in small groups, using specially devised instructional materials that allow them to monitor and correct their own errors. The basis of the system is the excitement and joy that are created when children's natural desire to learn is appreciated and allowed to grow without the principle of conventional instructional methods.

More schools were opened across Italy using Montessori's methods. The educational innovations then spread abroad, including to Indonesia.

Most preschools have boasted that they have adopted combined methods, including Montessori. Ultimately, education in a Montessori class is "self-activated", that is, each student participates actively in selecting a range of educational items as well as activities in a well-prepared class. An instructor or teacher has a much less intrusive role than in a traditional classroom, but is an observer who allows the children to learn on their own with the aid of prepared materials and provides help only when it is needed.

This educational framework fosters the development of self- discipline, confidence, competence, and problem-solving skills.

The environment of a classroom that has adopted the Montessori method, as at Bambino, is already pretty different from a conventional one. There are several tables and educational materials, while the children engage in activities individually or in groups.

Usually a preschool divides the classrooms into several categories. Bambino, for instance, offers five classes, including those for children aged one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half, two-and-a-half to three, three to four, four to five, and five to six.

Chan said children at his preschool could usually engage in a variety of activities using a series of learning materials including cardboard, wood, cloth, and metal materials, designed to teach children about such concepts as size, shape, weight, texture, color, and sound.

Four busy parents, preschools are quite beneficial in helping their children while they are working. Others see preschools as assisting children with the adjustment process prior to their entering elementary school and competing academically later on.

Some may also think that having their children at preschool confers social prestige.

Whatever the reason is, preschools are mushrooming in the capital, an indication that they are a new service industry.

"Preschool education is a service industry. We see competition as healthy in the field as it constantly becomes necessary for a preschool to meet higher standards. However, our focus is not on competing with other institutions, but to provide quality education continuously and to maintain a high standard, which is not allowed to stagnate with time," said Reshma of Kiddie Planet.

She added Kiddie carefully screened prospective teachers and evaluated them based on educational qualifications, experience, attitude, presentation and other talents, which could be an asset to a preschool.

"The majority of our teachers are expatriates and our assistant teachers are English-speaking Indonesians. Each class has a head teacher and assistant teachers in a student:teacher ratio of 5:1," she said, adding Kiddie can accommodate up to 100 students this year and could be expanded to handle up to 300.

Preschool is an early childhood education setting in which children combine learning with play within a comprehensive program run by professionally trained adults. Therefore the cost is high.

"That's why many preschools target expatriates as their potential market. Expatriates are commonly regarded as financially healthier. Besides, most of the nursery schools use English as the introduction language," she added.

The monthly tuition fee at Kiddie ranges from Rp 1.17 million to Rp 1.63 million, depending on the age of the child. Meanwhile, Bambino, whose 90 students comprise 20 nationalities, sets tuition fees at Rp 3.5 million to Rp 7 million per three-month term.

Preschool is good for some people. For example, Argentinean Ines Philippi, who sends her children to Bambino, said that preschool really benefited her in educating her son and daughter, and that they could interact with other children of the same age as well as learn discipline and social adaptation.

"There are not too many toys, but educational items. My children can also develop their cognitive skills. Parents can observe the class so that they will understand what their children are learning, and help carry on that learning at home," she said.

Everything has good and bad points, including preschools. Despite their potential advantages, preschools are not for everyone. Some children may get emotionally distressed if separated from their parents, even for only two or three hours. Other than that, preschools can be expensive, and some parents simply cannot afford them.