Preschool education in Malaysia is positioned as the preparatory stage for primary education. As such, while preparing children for primary education, the curriculum of early childhood education promotes national unification among ethnic groups. For example, although the significance of learning English from an early age is emphasized, the ability to communicate in the official language of Malay is also given importance. At the same time, consideration is also given to the languages other than Malay that are spoken by non-Malays. Moreover, the practice of Islamic and other moral values is also important. In this respect, the preschool curriculum is organized to develop competent human resources with the dual aims of uniting the Malaysian people and promoting economic development. (Sugimoto, 2005; Tejima, 2006)
Furthermore, with the Education Act 1996, preschool
education was made a part of the national education system. Preschool education
was incorporated into the compulsory education system that was introduced at
this time, and has come to function as a social welfare or relief measure for
children from relatively poor families who are unable to attend primary school
or to attend it regularly or for children from low-income families who are
primarily ethnic minorities.
In Malaysia,
many different institutions provide early childhood education and child care.
There are a number of administrative parent organizations, which manage these
facilities centrally. These consist of government organizations such (i) the
Ministry of Education; (ii) Department National Unity, Ministry of National
Unity and Social Development;(iii)governmental organizations such as Bahagian
Kemajuan Masyarakat:KEMAS/Community Development Division, Ministry of Rural
Development; (iv) Jabatan Agama Islam or Department of Islamic Religion in each
state; (v) Muslim organizations such as the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement
(Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia:ABIM); and (vi) private sector facilities that
operate early childhood education and child care services.
If you are a parent choosing a preschool curriculum for your
child, there are two basic questions you should begin by asking yourself:
•
Play-based or academic?
•
Child-centered or teacher-directed?
Actually, there is
considerable overlap between the two questions since most play-based programs
are generally child-centered, while academic programs typically necessitate
teacher direction.
Once you decide which
type of curricular approach is best for your child, you can begin examining the
various preschool curriculum options available in Malaysia.
MONTESSORI
The Montessori program
is a child-centered curriculum that offers children the freedom to explore
activities of their own choosing at their own pace. The teachers are
present to facilitate rather than to direct children’s learning.
Here are the key
strengths and benefits of a Montessori education:
• It fosters
independence and encourages individualism.
• The teacher plays a
very unassuming role in the classroom. The children are not motivated by
the teacher, but by the need for self-development.
• The requisite
mixed-age classrooms (typically 2/3 to 6 years old) allow younger children to
learn specific skill sets from older children who have mastered them.
• It emphasizes
concrete learning rather than abstract learning with the belief that children
need to experience concepts in concrete “hands-on” ways.
• It offers a
prescribed range of activities from which children can select
activities for themselves.
• It offers periods of
uninterrupted working time so children have the opportunity to work
through their tasks at their own pace.
• It is a
child-centered environment. All of the materials are easily accessible.
Children are taught to respect and be responsible for the materials they
use.
BEACONHOUSE
Beaconhouse,
a renowned global education network, pioneered the “Play to Learn & Learn
to Play” teaching philosophy, which ensures that preschool students truly enjoy
the learning process. This internationally-proven and result-oriented methodology
infuses the fun element into both teaching and learning, allowing students to
grow mentally, socially, physically and emotionally into well-rounded
individuals.
Here
are the key strengths and benefits of a Beaconhouse education:
• Beaconhouse
utilizes the “Play to Learn & Learn to Play” methodology, a wholesome
and effective teaching philosophy that promotes experiential and play-based
learning.
• It
encourages students to develop a keen interest towards learning
independently, teaching them to be confident and enthusiastic learners.
• It
places an emphasis on building strong character traits and positive
attitudes.
• With
a history stretching back 37 years, the Beaconhouse methodology has a
proven track record, and is used by more
than
226,000 students in nine countries.
• Beaconhouse
offers both individual and group learning experiences and every child has a
personal portfolio file charting his or her development.
•
Beaconhouse provides In-service Teacher Training (INSET) programs by
accredited tutors from the United Kingdom to develop teachers’ skills as
professionals.
• All
Beaconhouse centers are owner operated, ensuring consistency of standards and
delivery.
RELIGIOUS
If you follow a specific religion and would like your child’s
education to emphasize the fundamental teachings and values of your religion,
you may consider a religious preschool of your faith. The educational
philosophies and curriculum content are often similar to other preschools, with
the main difference being the incorporation of religious content. It is
important, however, to enquire about the schools’ pedagogical approach to
ensure that the teaching philosophies meet your expectations for your child’s
education.
LANGUAGE
IMMERSION
A
language immersion preschool can be a good choice if you want your child
to learn a language you do not speak or speak very little at home. These
preschools usually incorporate one or more of the common pedagogies
mentioned above. The essential difference is that all subjects are taught
entirely in a foreign language and the teacher does not offer translations to
the students, thereby totally immersing them in the foreign language.
Some
preschools offer a multilingual approach, where two languages (typically
English and a second language) are used by the teachers.
In
Malaysia, the common languages taught in language immersion preschools are
English, Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin.
ALTERNATIVE
Some preschools adopt a mixed-bag approach to preschool
education by implementing a variety of teaching curricula and methods, such as
the Singapore math program and the Cambridge reading program. They
may also incorporate other educational methodologies such as the Doman
method, which utilizes flashcards for teaching sight reading, mathematical
concepts and general knowledge. Another methodology that has been gaining
prominence and popularity is Right Brain Education, which focuses on tapping
into the potential of the under-utilized “right brain” functions.
Many preschools combine the traditional curricula with elements
of alternative curricula. For instance, a “Montessori” preschool may offer a
largely Montessori curriculum, but also incorporate the Singapore math program
and use Doman flashcards for teaching reading.
Nowadays, many preschool have started teaching the children
with ICT in their curriculum. Ict nowadays are worldwide things people use. ICT
usage in the preschool has made lesson become easy to teach and make it more
interesting. In today's globalized world, it is not unusual for
children to learn computer in the preschool as it is important in
communication.
So, it is essential for every parents to visit each and every
school you are considering and speak to the principal and teachers to gain a
clearer understanding of the curriculum being offered before deciding on a
preschool for your child.
ICT IN THE PRESCHOOL
ICT IN THE PRESCHOOL
