A PERSONAL NOTE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

I have a dream that someday soon all the parents that I show around the school will really know the important things to look for as they choose a pre-school for their 2, 3, 4 and 5 year olds. And of course, in our more enlightened times I can see this happening, as thankfully, parents becoming more aware and are less and less influenced by the material aspects of a school like designer names, the latest trendy school and also the parents own personal ambitions.

Having worked for so many years in my kindergarten and having met many kinds of teachers, I am convinced that the teachers handling these little ones in pre- schools at this tender age should above all really love working with children, should love them enough to be well qualified and have as much understanding of the psychology of these early years. It is so essential that children of this age are spoken to in a manner which will always build their self esteem and sense of value. The little mind of a child is like a very fine computer and the input data during the first five years will influence the child’s personality for the rest of his or her life.

Over the years, I have come to realise that the majority of schools are not diligently overseen by a psychologist and that the old ‘shamming tactics’ (telling children that they are bad, leading them to believe that their core is bad) continue to take place in far more schools than we wish to think as most teachers find it hard to give up the tool that makes them powerful. Parents need to really be on the alert to this in order to protect their children against this vastly important element that may so easily affect the child’s self-esteem for life. It is very hard to stay in reality on this issue, but for a teacher to give up old style ‘shaming tactics’ requires a great deal of commitment and understanding, as shaming tactics are the easiest way to make a child subdued and malleable.

I am the founder and owner of Pooh Corner Kindergarten and a psychologist with many contacts in America where they are way ahead in recognition of this fact. Our teachers have regular discussions and have access to many books related to this very important subject that many parents, due to their busy lifestyles may tend to overlook.

In choosing a school, parents of course should be looking for it to be well equipped with a happy and productive atmosphere but they should also find ways to explore the school’s basic philosophy towards each child within its care. Teachers and pre-school carry a HUGE responsibility on this issue as we now live in a society where parents need to work so much and it turns out that the child’s teacher plays a major role alongside the parents in a child’s life.  My own personal experience is that the longer I do this work the more seriously I take this understanding.

It’s a funny old world, and thank goodness I do see parents with enough integrity to stand up for their child. Always resisting what ambition dictates when it comes to choosing a safe school for your child……