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KINDERGARTEN PUPILS IN THE FUTURE, THAT IS THE NEED FOR PREPARING PUPILS TO LIFELONG EDUCATION
K. Paluch
‘It is never too late for learning’ - these words, once said by Seneka, show how important and timeless the ability of assimilating knowledge is. Jan Amos Komenski saying tota vita schola est (the whole life is a school) also points out that human development lasts from birth until death. - However, not until the second half of the XXth century, the importance of constant intellectual development was emphasized as well as the attention was paid to the effects of such process. Also Erik Erikson, the author of psycho-social development, contributed to create the concept of educating through the entire life. [1].
This thought took effect as statutory education that concerns mainly education and improving qualifications by adults. However, a question arises, what should be done so that the plan applied to kindergarten pupils in the future? How to overcome the resistance in acquiring knowledge which may become the reason of ceasing self-development after graduation? It should be remembered that in this case continuity is a fundamental issue. According to Natalia Niestierowa, the main problem of educating is the divergence between rules and standards which prevail in a new school or kindergarten environment and those which a child is used to. That is why there is the necessity of creating congenial atmosphere as well as developing interests and willingness to study is essential, as the hidden potential may result in the future [2].
The human capital, which is so often talked about in the modern world, has been gathered in all citizens, through their education and experience. Its role is extremely significant because it may have influence on the upturn of current and future prosperity of the country [3, p. 23]. That is why it is so important to take action in order to facilitate the access to education. It is notable especially in case of small children, who are at the beginning of their education, as their future and achievements depend largely on that. It appears that years of adulthood to a considerable degree depend on the quality of childhood. A human being is not going to achieve so much experience, knowledge or skills in any other
period of his existence. On this account, personality of a child should be expanded continually since the early childhood as well as his many-sided development and equal educational opportunities of pre-school pupils shall be given [4].
As it emerges from researches, the popularization of statutory education is rather on a low level in Poland. In order to change it, the participation of children in early childhood education shall be increased. The report on the Intellectual Capital of Poland gives ready to use instructions concerning the way of increasing the availability and the quality of preschooling, which is a recipe for stopping the popularization of social inequality. The access to high quality early childhood education is essential to provide with favourable conditions and stimuli for development of children. It is of great importance especially for children who come
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from poor and abnormally functioning families as well as those who live in poor regions of the country [3, s. 40].
The best and - as it may appear - the only solution is creating new, successful institutions or introducing some improvements and expansion to the functioning centres. These institutions should be friendly and close to a child, his family and local people. They should be accessible to all children regardless of their background but they need to take their aspirations, their needs and their potential into consideration. Those centres which are innovative, change-oriented, help getting a good start at school and enter a child into the world of schooling and other environments, are a crucial and basic pillar of a young man development [4].
However, the latest research on functioning of a human brain should be borne in mind. They confirm previously acquired knowledge on small children. It emerges that a brain of a preschool child up to 3 years old reaches up to 60% of a size of a brain of an adult. That is why, in this part of life there are four pillars of functioning of a child, namely: (a) the quality of independent entering in social life beyond the already known society; (b) developing cognitive competence which are the basis for acquiring knowledge; (c) development and strengthening diverse attitudes, especially high self-esteem; (d) the ability of cooperation with other people and stimulating personality, individuality and identity which are essential basis of adult life [3, s. 42].
Unfortunatelly, parents are not often entirely aware of above relations. They do not realize that when their relation with a child is limited or exclusive during the first 2-3 years of his life, it has tremendous influence on his behaviour in adult life. Therefore, the involvement of parents in teaching process of a preschool child is crucial as well as creating kindergarten institutions which are innovative and make an effort to meet needs of the contemporary world.
A great example of a successful contemporary institution is Natalia Niestierowa’s kindergarten in Moscow, which is the first stage of the whole educational system and it is simply called Home. This centre refers to the organizational concept that was discussed earlier both through functioning of the institution and language which makes the atmosphere similar to the one at family homes [2].
Particular emphasis was also placed on development and making preschool education available in Poland as well as decreasing the diversification of its popularizing between a city and a country. The results of research achieved in 2006 show the number of children aged 3-5 and prove that 62% of children attended kindergartens in cities but only 19% in rural areas. However, it is satisfactory that the availability of preschooling has improved in the last 10 years, especially in cities, whereas there is a need of a lot of work in rural districts in order to achieve the same results [3, s. 41]. One of the institutions that fulfil these needs is Serduszko - a three-year-old Catholic kindergarten in Kielce. Thanks to a wide range of educational classes they offer, it is attractive for both children, who can develop harmoniously and acquire new experience, and their parents who are satisfied with the effects of their children’s work. Apart from basic classes in a kindergarten that eventuate from the new core curriculum and a weekly schedule, children are encouraged and motivated to take part in school celebrations and competitions. Apart from classes where children can learn foreign languages such
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as English or German or Religious Education, Art and Eurhythmies, also trips to The Regional and Municipal Public Library as well as to the theatre are organized. Such solution helps us discover the strongest point of a child and develop it ceaselessly, which may bear fruit in the future. Our action is motivated by willingness to stimulate activities, especially to be open for new challenges, which on one hand, is not easy and on the other hand, they need to familiarize themselves with difficulties they encounter. It also helps them in the future. Such concept of education causes that children attending to our kindergarten have easier start at school and may achieve better results of their work in the following years at school as well as in their adult lives by continuing and constantly improving their qualifications. Classes, which are organized in the kindergarten, develop social skills of children. These skills are extremely important in the process of organizing the lifelong learning [5, s. 16-17].
Nowadays, teachers of preschool and early preschool education should pay attention to the world we live in more than ever and to what it may bring in the future in order to help children understand the world.
References
1. M. Urbanska-Bulas, Czego Jas si§ nie nauczyt... o ksztatceniu ustawicznym stow kilka, „Blizej
Przedszkola”, 2009, nr 6.
2. E. Mikrut, L. Mikrut, Niezwykte przedszkole w Moskwie, „Wychowanie w Przedszkolu”, 2003,
nr 6.
3. Raport o Kapitale Intelektualnym Polski, Warszawa 2008, s. 23.
4. K. Zuchelkowska, M. Gtadyszewska, Wyrownywanie szans dzieci w wieku przedszkolnym w
perspektywie zmian ustawowych, „Wychowanie na co Dzien”, 2009, nr 3.
5. Kompetencje kluczowe. Realizacja koncepcji na poziomie szkolnictwa obowi^zkowego.
EURYDICE, Bruksela 2002.
The work written under supervision of Ewa Kula, PhD
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