EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT

Lesson 18: Factors influencing Curriculum Planning in ECE

Center/ School related

• Philosophy and objectives of ECE schools: It is another important aspect for curriculum planning. There are different philosophies related to ECE. If a teacher wants to adopt any specific system and follows their philosophy and objectives she has to formulate a curriculum accordingly that helps to attain their goal.
• Duration of the programme: The curriculum varies from one center to the other. The child gains much from ECE centers, when it supplements his home experience. For younger age group the duration should not exceed more than three to four hours a day. For older age group, depending upon the type and number of activities, the duration of the day can be planned.
• Location of the school: Depending on the location of the school, the programme also varies. Urban schools may be in a position to provide rich experiences due to their easy accessibility .Ex: Airport, zoo, railway station etc. whereas this may not be possible with rural schools. In this case, the teacher has to be more resourceful to create at least model situations to extend the similar environment.
• Infrastructural facilities: The curriculum depends on the infrastructural facilities available in the ECE centre. Good, spacious building, play ground and equipment facilitate a variety of programmes. The classroom design should contain large areas of learning centers with easy access to sinks and bathrooms. The physical and social environment of the classroom are part of the curriculum as the quality of the physical space and materials provided affects the level of involvement of the children and the quality of interaction among them both formally and informally.
• Financial position of the school: Availability of funds for organizing programme is another important aspect which decides the type of curriculum. If there is adequate funding children can be provided with more field trips and first hand experiences. Similarly more equipment and materials for other activities could be made available to provide varied experiences to children.
• Teacher training and experience: Trained and experienced teachers would be able to do the curriculum planning in a better way. Training and experience enhances the competence of teachers to deal with the children in a more effective way.
• Expectations of the teacher: these are also important in providing experiences to the children
• Teacher-child ratio: Each child is unique with different needs, interests, and capacities and from different family backgrounds. It is the duty of the teacher to provide individual attention so that every child feels secure and wanted. Appropriate teacher-child ratios encourage the bonding of children and teachers. This is possible only when the ratio between the teacher and the child is very small. The ideal teacher child ratio is 1:20 in the Indian context. Hence, curriculum should be planned accordingly.