Children attend Do Re Mi’s summer school program in Yangon.

EDUCATORS and officials agree that preschool is a fundamental part of education, one that can put children on track for a bright future.

“Children’s learning and development potential is very high when they are between three and five years old. If they have a good education in this age it can significantly help their future,” said U Hla Sein, managing director of Future Star Quality Training Centre in Dagon township.

The decision to send their child to preschool is an important decision for parents to make – one that will affect their child’s development. Which preschool to enroll in is also a consideration; in Yangon, many preschools have different styles of teaching so selecting the right one is important.

“We care and teach children to develop their mental, physical, emotional, and social skills. For example, we put them in teams to show the children how to treat each other and work cooperatively, developing their social skills,” he said.

He believes parents should send their children to preschool for the benefit of their education.

“The learning capacity of each child is different. The teacher will approach the learning of each student on an individual basis. But there are differences between a child who goes to preschool and one that does not,” he said.

Ms Supawadee Kucukdugenci, supervisor of Horizon International Kindergarten, supports U Hla Sein’s views.

“A child who goes to preschool has developed much more social skills; how to treat their friends, how to make friends and they have more confidence when they go to school than a child who is not enrolled in preschool,” she said.

The common view of educators is children are ready to learn in a school environment by the age of two, she said.

“Our syllabus is adapted to the environment in which the children live and is structured to allow the students to build sequentially on their own individual knowledge and experiences,” she said of the methods employed at Horizon.

She said the curriculum is a guide to assist teachers in the delivery of an articulated, relevant program that ensures each student becomes an independent, life-long learner.

“Parents’ expectations and desires for their children are changing as times change – they have much hope for their children. I’m also a mother, so I can understand the parents’ desire but they also need to look at the long term future of their children.”

Learning should not just be about languages, mathematics and science, says Ms Yumi Hasegawa, managing director of Do-Re-Mi Family Club.

“Parents should also encourage their children to take part in music, sports or arts so they are encouraged to learn many different things and develop an active mind,” Ms Yumi said.

She said childhood experiences have a lasting impact on children’s development “so preschool is very important”.

Her Do-Re-Mi Family Club has two sections – preschool and pre-preschool. “At pre-preschool, the children can attend with their parents,” she said. “It is a good way for parents to gauge if the school is right for their children.”