Children in the pre-primary should not be pushed into writing before they are ready: Educationist

Children in the pre-primary should not be pushed into writing before they are ready, a veteran educator reminded an audience of school heads and teachers on Thursday.

Hilda Peacock was speaking at a panel discussion on foundational literacy and numeracy at Abhinav Bharati School on Pretoria Street.

“No child should be forced into writing before readiness occurs... I am so appalled when I look around my city and other cities to find that preschool children are given homework and taught to write and spell. Then we wonder what went wrong in later years. This is what went wrong... you pushed kids to perform before they were ready,” said Peacock, former principal of La Martiniere for Girls and Dr Graham’s Homes inKalimpong.

The panel discussion was part of a day-long CBSE conference organised by CBSE Principals’ Sahodaya Complex, Calcutta chapter, under the guidance of the CBSE regional office in Bhubaneswar.

The theme of the conference was foundational literacy and numeracy and the National Education Policy (NEP).

Earlier in the day, K. Srinivasan, regional officer, CBSE Bhubaneswar, said that the national curriculum framework on the foundational stage had already been released and teachers and principals should go through it more than once to understand the spirit of it and what was expected.

Srinivasan said: “In this education policy... early childhood care and education has been given its due importance.”

Peacock spoke of the perils of “tapping talent” of students who are too young.

During the panel discussion, Peacock reminded her audience about child sexual abuse and how it should be broached to young children.

“Why children do not complain is because they do not have the vocabulary... We have to teach them words that would protect them,” she said.

Peacock said teachers cannot shy away from the responsibility. Young children should be taught the difference between good touch and bad touch.

“Bad touch is what hurts, scares one and makes one sad,” she said.

Pre-primary teachers must teach children four words — no, go, tell and yell, she said.

The other panellists were Sanjana Vakharia, director, Mongrace Montessori House, and Meenakshi Atal, former vice-principal of The Heritage School.

“The more we read, discuss and share thoughts, the easier it will be for schools to implement policies,” said Loveleen Saigal, joint treasurer of the Calcutta Sahodaya and principal of Birla High School.

Learning gap

Chhanda Ray, director, State Council of Educational Research and Training, West Bengal, who was present at the event, said learning gaps were created during the pandemic.

The national achievement survey conducted in four Classes — III, V, VIII and X — pointed out the gaps, she said. For Classes III and V, Bengal is above the national average but in VIII and X it is below the national average in subjects like science and social sciences, she said.