Rotary Club of Kingston to invest $700,000 in two ECIs
Published:Thursday | May 5, 2022 | 12:06 AMJudana Murphy/Gleaner Writer
The Rotary Club of Kingston (RCOK) will be assisting two early childhood institutions (ECIs) to achieve and maintain the 12 standards set out by the Early Childhood Commission (ECC).
President Ryan Strachan told The Gleaner that Citizens Advice Bureau Basic School on Beechwood Avenue and Elim Early Childhood Development Centre on Shortwood Road are the selected institutions.
“Rotary International has six areas of focus, one of which is basic education and literacy. As such, when conceptualising projects for my year as president for 2021 to 2022, I wanted to target this area that is both near and dear to me and within the Rotary priorities. It is one of our major projects for the year,” he said.
This year has been declared the year of Early Childhood Development by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of early childhood education.
In its Assessment Report of Early Childhood Institutions March 2022, which was published recently, ECC inspectors gave Citizens Advice Bureau Basic School a score of 80 per cent and Elim Early Childhood Development Centre 100 per cent – an indication of the institutions’ overall operational performance.
“These institutions were among those closest to attaining the standards both from the standpoint of cost efficiency and the timeline of 12 months. We were also mindful of financial constraints brought on by COVID-19, so we had to be realistic in our expectations given that the RCOK has executed multiple major projects in 2021 to 2022,” he said, when asked why both ECIs were chosen.
Strachan said approximately $700,000 will be invested in the project.
The commission said ECIs which have achieved certification, that is, a 100 per cent inspection score, are expected to maintain the standards of service currently being provided.
“A certificate of registration is valued for a five-year period. However, ECIs should take specific care to ensure that during that time, all the requirements for meeting the standard are maintained in order not to lose their certification within that five-year period,” a section of the report read.
Early childhood institutions are inspected against the following 12 national standards: staffing; development and educational programmes; physical environment; interactions and relationships with children; indoor and outdoor equipment; health; nutrition; safety; child rights, child protection and equality; administration; finance; parent and stakeholder participation.
The president said he is uncertain if a long-term partnership will be forged with the two ECIs or any other ECIs.
SUPPORT NEEDED
Some 1,056 of the 2,373 early childhood institutions across Jamaica are in need of substantial support from stakeholders to be certified, having earned below 50 per cent in their most recent inspections.
Only 12 per cent, or 282, ECIs earned full scores in the assessment.
Strachan said the Rotary Club of Kingston inducts a new president annually and by convention does not take on legacy projects.
“This gives the incoming president the freedom of choice where their major projects are concerned,” he explained.