Implementation Challenges of Early Childhood Care and Development in District IV, City Of Manila

Abstract

Introduction

The researcher's purpose of this study was to arrive at a district-wide review and collection of proposed enhancements and recommendations for better and more equitable ECCD Program implementation in District IV, City of Manila. As perceived by the Kindergarten Teachers, preparations before and during the school year were enough to attain the expected outcome of quality Kindergarten learners and to be ready for formal schooling as they enter Grade One. On the other hand, the Grade One Teachers are dissatisfied with the results which revealed, more often than not, that not all Kindergarten pupils are ready to enter formal schooling.

Methods

The descriptive research design was used in this study to describe the characteristics of the respondents and to obtain information concerning the current status of conditions in the current situation. In addition to this, a purposive sampling technique was applied to the homogenous population of 63 Kindergarten Teachers and 96 Grade One Teachers as the respondents of the study.

Results

Study results showed that respondents perceived the level of implementation of the components of the ECCD Program in all 14 study schools were "Highly Implemented" in terms of learning and assessment, content/learning areas, physical facilities, resources and environment, and program management, while "Implemented" in the area of standard for teachers. In the table of Respondents' answers to the Open-Ended Questions as to Challenges Faced and Solutions Proposed, the area of Physical Facilities, resources, and environment got the highest number and Program Management got the least, though these two components both indicated as "Highly Implemented".

Discussion

A main finding according to the research project of SEAMEO INNOTECH on Quality Assurance in Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) in Southeast Asia on 2011, that there is an absence of explicit ECCD Quality Assurance Frameworks that could serve as an anchor or baseline of exhaustive ECCD program participated by ten of its 11 member-countries including the Philippines. This study resulted in an in-depth understanding of the implementation of the Kindergarten as perceived by its main implementers. They indicated specific challenges and proposed solutions that could help teachers to be understood in their current situation. Though the majority of the areas resulted in "Highly Implemented", there are still some components that need to be improved. An action plan was proposed by the researcher as a product.