Pendidikan Awal Kanak-Kanak

Ramai telah menghantar email pada saya tentang definisi sebenar kanak-kanak yang diketogorikan dalam “Pendidikan Awal Kanak-Kanak” atau “Early Childhood Education”. Saya akan cuba menjawab persoalan ini dengan memetik sedikit penulisan berhubung dengan perkara dalam tesis PhD saya . Berikut adalah petikan yang dapat kita kongsi bersama. “There is some variation across countries in the ages of children considered to be in early childhood education. According to Swiniarski, Breitborde, & Murphy (1999), the definitions of early childhood care and education differ around the world. The more industrialized nations consider early childhood to be the period from birth through to age 8 (Essa, 1999; Wortham, 2000), while developing nations focus on birth through to age 6 (Eville-Lo & Mbugua, 2001; UNICEF, 2002). Graves et al (1996) stress that regardless of such determinations the increased interest in early childhood education around the world reflects respective nations' and/or societies' particular philosophical beliefs about children. In the United States and Canada, children start school at age 6. Nursery schools generally cater for children aged 3–5 years old, and kindergartens cater for children aged 4–5 years old. In England, Scotland, and Wales, children in nursery schools are normally aged between 3 and 5 years, and in Northern Ireland, between 2 and 4 years. In England and Wales, some schools have classes called “reception” classes for children who have not yet reached the compulsory school age (5 years old). Sweden has pre-schools for children aged 0–5 (förskola) and another pre-school for 6-year-olds (föreskoleklass). (Mahani, 2006)

Bagi negara kita Malaysia, Pendidikan Awal kanak-kanak melalui kurikulum yang formal telah bermula seawal usia 6 tahun. Kanak-kanak pada usia ini telah mula memasuki taman-taman didikan atau lebih dikenali dengan pra-sekolah. Bagaimanapun pertumbuhan pesat pusat-pusat jagaan/asuhan awal kanak di Malaysia yang juga dikenali sebagai TASKA menunjukkan bahawa definisi Pendidikan Awal Kanak-kanak di Negara kita juga telah berubah . Anak-anak se awal usia 0 hingga 6 tahun bukan sahaja perlu di asuh/jaga tetapi juga telah mula boleh didik.

Dr Mahani Razali