Campus Director Dr. Pramila, staff and students
Early childhood education courses provided by the University of the South Pacific Lautoka Campus continue to cement its mark as an illustrious career path for many teachers of the western division.
Speaking at the ED300 Resource Display program at the campus on August 18, USP Lautoka Campus Early Childhood Education Teaching Assistant Babra Prakash stressed that the institute has brought about humongous progress in the lives of many pre-school teachers and students over the past number of years.
Prakash pointed out that because it takes a big heart and a lot of time to shape the little minds, pre-school teachers have to be properly trained and qualified to undertake this important task.
She emphasized that because pre-school teachers build the foundation for the young minds parents, families and communities have a lot of faith in them.
She revealed that ED300 course plays a very pivotal role in the training program of the ECE teachers.
“ED300 is the final course for the student teachers graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education.
“During this course the student teachers are given two weeks to prepare the resources and this is not something that they have picked up, just walk to our campus to do their displays.
“The resources, the charts, everything that they have prepared were used from the recycling materials and the natural resources. And this goes together with their lesson plan.
“These teachers have 17 weeks practicum from zero to eight years children. So they will be working four weeks with zero to two year old children. Then from another four weeks for three to four, and then another two, five to six and then six to seven.
“In this practicum the student teachers are exposed to the six main focus areas that underpin our practicum and it goes with psychology and child development. “
Mrs Prakash informed that the teachers do their practicum in different educational settings according to the course levels from 100 to 300.
She revealed that during the different levels the trainees learn to prepare activities for normal pre-school students as well as for children with special needs.
She highlighted that teachers have to be aware on how to prepare different activities for different development levels as every child is unique and develop at their own pace.
Meanwhile, one of the teachers doing her final unit (ED300) in the Bachelors in Early Childhood Education program, Neha Ram revealed that she is very proud to be a product of USP Lautoka Campus.
Ram revealed that her journey at USP Lautoka Campus started in 2014 when she was pregnant and now while she is in the final stages of completing her degree program her son has entered pre-school education.
“I am really thankful to the teachers and the support staff at USP Lautoka Campus for their continuous guidance and am quite eager to impact all what I have learnt here to my pre-school students,” she added.
Displays by the ED300 students
