Diploma in Early Childhood Education

Admission Requirements:

• Persons are eligible to be admitted to study for the Diploma in Early Childhood Education if they have:
1. passed a Senate-recognised Form 7 examination or equivalent or
2. admission with standing.

Programme Requirements:

• The Diploma in Early Childhood Education consists of eight courses.

Courses:

1. ED101 (Early Childhood Development) - This course will concentrate on general studies of development during a child`s first six years - pre-natal, infancy, and early childhood years. Aspects to be covered will include cognitive, emotional, language, moral/spiritual, physical and social development.


2. ED102 (The Child In The South Pacific) - This course helps students understand how the context of Pacific Island countries (physical and social environment) is related to children`s growth, learning and development.


3. ED201 (Curriculum in Early Childhood Education) - Students will study ECE curriculum development in order to develop knowledge and understanding of the theory and methodology relevant to planning, implementing and evaluating a programme designed to be appropriate for particular groups of young children.


4. ED202 (Leadership in Early Childhood Education) - This course assists students to understand and develop strategies to lead and manage an EC centre. Principles of management, leadership qualities, recruitment, administrative duties, finance and budget management are examined.


5. ED301 (Practicum in Early Childhood Education) - This is a structured course with set tasks. Student must attend a compulsory five-day workshop and a minimum 10-week placement (50 working days) in an approved ECE centre, in which all set tasks must be written up.


6. plus three (3) of;
• ED153 (School & Society) - The principal aim of this course is to establish a foundation for subsequent education courses by introducing students to a wider understanding of education and schooling and the issues relating to it in the societies in which we live. In the Pacific, schooling as a form of education has had a great impact on the lives of the people, thus the focus of the course on school and society.
• ED158 (Intro To Non-Formal Education) - This course enables students to develop an ideological base for non-formal education practices.
• ED182 (Integrated Arts) - This course takes an integrated view of the role and relevance of the arts in relation to both schooling and culture generally. The arts represent society`s most profound and acute insights, as well as a sure way to empathy and emotional understanding.
• LL102 (Pacific Literature In English) - The course examines the growth of Pacific literature in English and appraises its themes, styles and significance through the study of a representative selection of work by Pacific Islands writers from the USP region, Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand.
• LL108 (Introduction to Children’s Literature) - The course examines the relationship between children and literature and analyses a range of books in various genres, written for children.
• LL122 (Introduction To Language Studies) - This course provides a general introduction to linguistics, which is the study of (i) language as a social and intellectual phenomenon, and (ii) the human languages of the world.
• PS101 (Introduction To Psychology) - This course introduces students to the science of behaviour - what people do and why. It also looks at major approaches within the discipline of psychology ranging from how we perceive our surroundings and persons within it, to how we learn to think, feel and act.
• SO100 (Themes and Perspectives In Sociology) - In this course students will gain some initial understanding of the development and structure of society as viewed by sociologists, together with a preliminary understanding of sociological approaches and concepts (to be built on further in SO110 and S0200).
• ED208 (Study of Exceptional Individuals I) - Equivalent to PS208. Students will be given an introduction to the study of individuals with diverse educational needs. or other course approved by the Head of School or nominee.


7. Two (2) weeks of practicum experience.

Note: Please click on the course codes to access detailed information about the course from the USP database.