1.0 INTRODUCTION

St. Lawrence University was founded in 2006 though took in the first class of students in September 2007.

The University campus is located in Mengo, Rubaga Division, in central Kampala, Uganda's largest city and capital. The university campus sits on 11 acres (0.045 km²) of land and is located near Kabaka's Lake, in Mengo, close to the main Lubiri (Palace of the Kabaka of Buganda), 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) west of the central business district of Kampala.

It is a private higher education institution and officially accredited and/or recognized by the National Council for Higher Education., Uganda. St Lawrence University (SLAU) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education certificates, diplomas and degrees in several areas of study. In addition SLAU provides several academic and non-academic facilities and services to students including a library, housing, as well as administrative services.

About the programme:

The Diploma in Early Childhood Development offers training to caregivers and nursery teachers to support and enable children acquire social, emotional, physical and mental abilities to ease their transition into formal schooling and later life. It is a two years program leading to the award of Diploma in Early Childhood Development.

2.0 RATIONALE

The Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (1995) Article 34 states that,

“a child is entitled to basic education which is a responsibility of the state, and the parents of the child”.

Providing support for children in early years of development through well trained caregivers and teachers lays a foundation for their future. Research findings have affirmed that teacher quality is very vital and remains one of the most important determinants of students’ achievements and outcomes. In these studies, measures of teacher are more strongly related to student achievement than other kinds of educational investments such as; reduced class size, overall spending on education and teacher salaries.

Quality and qualified early childhood educators play a significant in responding and enabling children under their attain expected learner outcomes as laid out in GWP (1992) and illustrated under the aims and objectives of preprimary education in Uganda. These include: developing the child’s capabilities, health physical growth, good social habits, moral values, imagination, self-reliance, thinking power, appreciation of cultural backgrounds, customs, language and communication skills in the mother tongue and to emphasize the development of a feeling of love and care for other people and Uganda as a whole. These learner outcomes are also articulated in international commitments to child survival, protection, participation and developing for instance the MDGs and EFA goals that Uganda is a signatory to.

The policy tracking studies conducted by the Ministry of Education ion 2008 and 2009 (citation) reveal that many Education Managers in Uganda today are not fully aware of and do not properly understand the policies and policy guidelines meant on ECD teacher education which has impacted the level of implementation at different levels. The ECD caregiver training will be instrumental in guiding individual ECD Teacher Education Institution Managers, administrators, and academic registrars to develop well packaged programmes that meet expected teaching early learning stands.

3.0 PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES

By the end of the programme, students will be able to:

a)    Demonstrate appropriate psychological skills to analyse child growth and development and to provide guidance and counseling to children.

b)    Use classroom management skills to provide care and support to pre- primary child

c)    Acquire knowledge and skills which will enable them to conduct small scale

research related to pre-primary education.

d)    Design, improvise and use different teaching and learning materials

e)    Develop an understanding of the professional character of teaching.

f)     Promote student teachers’ awareness of teacher ethics

g)    Utilize positive approaches to guide and redirect behavior of young children

4.0 LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion of the programme, students should be able to:

a)    Demonstrate a clear understanding of the concept of ECD in the promotion of children’s rights and responsibilities.

b)    Design and implement meaningful, age and culturally appropriate play and learning activities.

c)    Apply positive interventions to guide behavior and promote interaction among young children

d)    Appreciate the different types of impairment and ways to support children with special needs.

e)    Establish and maintain relationships to involve families and communities in children’s learning