ROBERT MUGABE

SCHOOL OF
EDUCATION AND
CULTURE

NAME: DANGAREMBIZI LAURA

REG NUMBER: M226222

COURSE CODE: BEIE 221

COURSE: Early Childhood Development Intervention

LEVEL:

PROGRAM: BED IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION (HONS)

QUESTION: Assess the implications of policy and legislation in early childhood development
intervention of Zimbabwe.

LECTURER: Mr Ngwenya E.

DUE DATE:

MARK:

COMMENT:

CONTACT/EMAIL: 0774394870/ iauradangarembizi78@gmail.com

International aid agencies, such as the World Bank, World Health Organization (WHO), United
Nations Educational and Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations
Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) and others have promoted the creation and expansion of
Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs in developing countries through introducing policy
and legislation in early childhood development intervention. The Ministry of Primary and
Secondary Education (2015) of Zimbabwe notes that ECD has been embraced by virtually all
nations as a necessary educational experience in the lives of young children. Early Childhood
Education provides for the care and education of children from birth to 6 years. Therefore, this
paper will assess the implications of policy and legislation in early childhood development
intervention of Zimbabwe after understanding early childhood education (ECD) and providing
the background.

An early childhood development (ECD) facility is a partial care facility that provides an early
childhood program that encompasses early learning and the development of children before they
start formal schooling. Early Childhood Development ECD refers the ‘process of emotional,
cognitive, sensory, spiritual, moral, physical, social and communication development of children
from birth to at least school-going age’ (Department of Education, 2001). Thus, it is considered
the foundation of the early learning phase, enabling children to learn and develop. Early
childhood intervention is all about giving children with developmental delay or disability, and
their families, supports to enable the child to have the best possible start in life.

Historically homes had no appliances so a woman’s occupation was chores and childcare, other
family members lived locally and helped. With increasing school leaving age and new appliances
women could fill freed time with jobs and increased income meant more appliances. Government
policy supported women working; they had careers, luxuries became necessities, families
dispersed moving to the work and alternative childcare was sought (Zvobgo, 2004). This led to
more childcare requirements providing parental peace of mind rather than education and
preparation for life. The quality provided was diverse and various programs were introduced
through law, policy and consultation to meet the growing needs of parents and their children.
Hence, this paper aims on assessing the implications of policy and legislation in ECD
intervention in Zimbabwe.
In Zimbabwe, the ECD program is a Post-Independent policy that was introduced to correct the
colonial imbalances related to equity and inequality in education, which empowers all students
regardless of colour, race or creed to acquire skills, mature enough to allow then equal
opportunities for registering, participating and learning effectively when they enter the
mainstream school systems (No Child Left Behind, 2001). In the Zimbabwean context, the
education Statutory Instrument (SI) of 1973 and 1999 that was originally designed to
discriminate against Native Black Children while at the same time providing their white
counterparts with increased advantages, clearly gave some students advantages over others (Van
Leer, 2008; Zvobgo, 1994; Nziramasanga Commission, 1999). Therefore, the ECD program was
effected in order to ensure all citizens are not left behind in education and that policy is effective
children at early ages are being send to school by their parents which is a clear evidence of the
acceptance of the policy by the people of Zimbabwe.

The Even-Start project, an American Policy of the Education for All Act (1983) in Zimbabwe,
ensures that when students start school, each student will be equipped with skills, knowledge and
attitudes that allow them to start their education projects with enough cognitive and motor skills
and or tools to participate equally in education as everyone else in their age group (Noddings,
2007). However, the Zimbabwean version of the policy context only emphasizes access to
education and participation, but is silent on how it ensures successful completion of each level
especially those at ECD level. Such negligence is negatively affecting the implementation of
ECD in schools. Government should be clear especially in curriculum designing in order to
ensure a successful satisfactory of Education for All policy.

The ECD program in Zimbabwe has officially been in existence since 1972 and it was referred to
as Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) (Morrison, 2001). As a result, current ECD
planners and teachers, regardless of their views on knowledge, child development and program
form, they still face challenges in designing and implementing the curriculum, especially when
cognizance of the teacher preparation program culture is considered (Nziramasanga
Commission, 1999; Morrison, 2001). Such challenges are impeding the implementation of ECD
intervention policies and legislations. It is important that child rearing principles are introduced
into the school’s systems in order to connect national education from birth-to-school going ages
effectively (Stebbing, 1999 and Morrison, 2001). Zvobgo (1986) states that, Zimbabwe native
educators need to create a provision for pre-school educators in order to ensure an even teaching
platform and that all children are sailed through during instructional periods in order to promote
the effectiveness of ECD intervention policy and legislations.

When Zimbabwe attained independence in 1980, government transformed the education policies
first by making education accessible to all children regardless of race, creed and religious
inclinations (The Education Policy, 1987; Nziramasanga, 1999). The policy was rooted from
Comenius’ (1592-1670) theory is based on the idea that education is considered as a universal
birth right for everybody and as a powerful tool for achieving one’s potentials. Pursuant to
Comenius’ ideas, the government of Zimbabwe formulated a policy that education is a basic
right for every citizen regardless of race, colour or status. This policy is being implemented
today in Zimbabwe education system. Later amendments to the 1987 Education Act extended the
right of education to include the introduction of ECD education to Native Zimbabweans
(Zvobgo, 1994). Because of the power of the 1987 Education Act, post independent Zimbabwe
experienced the mushrooming of countless ECD centers, higher enrolments in primary schools,
especially those in rural area (Zvobgo, 2004). Thus, to show the implication of such policies in
ECD intervention in Zimbabwe.

The 2004 Education Act legally ensures that nursery school children are not supposed to be
exposed to formal schools’ curriculum, but to the total development of the student socially,
emotionally, intellectually and physically in a holistic approach. The integration of ECD into
formal primary school system calls for the need to ensure that teachers are properly qualified to
achieve the standards guiding instruction (Dyanda et al, 2006). However, by that time trained
ECD teachers were not attached to private pre-schools but they were only practice in primary
schools under the Ministry of Education. This implies that private ECD centers employed their
own personnel. The rapid expansion in the demand for education resulted in instruction in the
ECD centers being provided by teachers who did not have the necessary professional experience,
training and or professional supervision assistance and became uneasy to impart skills in line
with the national policy of developing the whole child. Unqualified personnel may be providing
under-quality education to ECD learners especially in these days of standards guided education
for quality assurance at every level and face challenges related to the effective implementation of
the curriculum; However, employing untrained para-professionals and at the same time failing to
provide them with necessary tools and resources create even more problems related to ECD
program implementation in Zimbabwe.

The Children Act 1989 provided legislation for under-eights, introducing quality standards for all
children’s services using a registration and an annual inspection (reports to be made available to
parents) system maintained by local authorities. In addition, they had to carry out checks on over
eighteen year olds who came into contact with children, ensure that the premises used were
suitable and set staff: child ratios (Zvobgo, 2004). Children had to be helped to get the most
from planned activities. The Act’s failings were that it did not allow access to at risk children,
provided insufficient emergency protection, allowed inappropriate Care Orders so that a child
could be taken into care unchallenged. It did allow children and their families to be heard but this
was seen a problem removing Local Authorities autonomy. In Zimbabwe the Children Act is not
easy to implement due to some various factors like financial constrains which impedes the
development of infrastructure and recruiting more teachers in order to meet the required staff to
children ratio.

Lastly but important, the government of Zimbabwe is adopting Special Educational Needs Code
of Practice (1994) that defined the roll of the SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-
coordinator) appointed for each setting. That policy has been originated in United States of
America in a bid to include children with disabilities into educational processes. In 1997 it has
been stated that, previously there had been no measurable standards and establishments worked
alone in US. Investment in the National Childcare Strategy (1998) provided more affordable,
quality childcare places so parents could work satisfied that their children were safe and well
looked after. More training was made available and to accommodate free childcare places for
three year olds childminders could become accredited. Early Learning Goals replaced Desirable
Outcomes within the Foundation Stage. Zimbabwe is trying to promote the involvement of
children with special educational needs through adopting the Special Needs Code of Practice
(1994) but they are facing challenges like lack of teachers trained to accommodate different
abled learners. However, the country is implementing programs which equip teachers with
special needs education knowledge for example in universities there is an introduction of
Bachelor of Education in Inclusive Education programs.
In conclusion, the assessment of the implications of policy and legislation in early childhood
development intervention of Zimbabwe has been done taking support from various scholars. The
policies and legislations which has been effected into ECD include Education for All adopted
from America, Children Act and Education Act. Nevertheless, there some impediments to the
effective implementation of ECD policies and legislations though the government is trying its
best to ensure success. For instance, lack of finance to develop infrastructure, impart skills on
ECD teachers and recruit more qualified teachers are some of stumbling blocks when implying
ECD intervention policies and legislation.
REFERENCES:

Department of Education. (2001). White Paper 5 - Early Childhood Development. Pretoria:

Department of Education.

Dyanda, C., Makoni, R.D., Muduku, A., and Kuyayama, A. (2006). Evaluation of the National
Early Childhood Development Programme. Harare: UNICEF.

Morrison, G.S. (2001). Early Childhood Education Today. Columbus, Merrill.

Noddings, N. (2007). Philosophy of Education (2nd Ed). USA: West view Press.

Nziramasanga, C.T. (1999). Report of Presidential Commission of Inquiry in Education and

Training. Harare: Government of Zimbabwe.

Stebbing, B. (1999). Learning Through Play. A Manual for E.C.E.C. Teachers. Harare: UNICEF

Van Leer, B. (2008). Early Childhood Development for Para-Professionals. Harare: UNICEF.

Zvobgo, R.J. (1986). Transforming Education: The Zimbabwe Experience. Harare: College
Press.

Zvobgo, R.J. (2004). The organization and Administration of Primary and Secondary Education.
Harare: Zimbabwe Open University.