The preschool education stage is considered a fundamental pillar of the general education strategy. The atmosphere, problems, and prospects at this stage subsequently have a significant impact on other higher levels of education.
In recent years, certain development-oriented works have been carried out in the local preschool education process, and many shortcomings have been eliminated. In particular, the transfer of kindergartens from local executive bodies to the subordination of the Ministry of Science and Education led to very significant revitalization in this stage of education.
However, unfortunately, even today there is a serious need for many innovations in the preschool education segment, especially for the application of different approaches in the methodological direction.
The mission and philosophy of preschool education are highly reflected in international practices. Although there are significant similarities in the content lines and standards of preschool education across different countries, some specific differences are also noticeable. These specific characteristics are indicators of different countries' approaches to preschool education. The successful application of these examples could lead to significant development in the local preschool education environment.
Preschool educational institutions operating in Azerbaijan can gain 3 major characteristics from international experience:
-successful content line;
- admission rules;
- rules of conduct applied during instruction.
“Build a kindergarten at home” - Japanese model
In Japan, the prestige of preschool educational institutions is highly valued within society. Here, kindergartens are also organized in universities and schools, and there is a serious need for the application of a similar practice in our country.
According to the rules, a family that does not send a minor to kindergarten is obliged to teach their child all the necessary programs conducted for children in preschool institutions at home instead. For this purpose, heads of families attend special courses and acquire the necessary knowledge.
Another detail that develops the preschool education segment in Japan is the mass organization of private kindergartens in this direction in the country. Here, private kindergartens cover approximately 80% of general preschool education. There is no significant difference between the educational and upbringing systems of state and private preschool educational institutions. In preschool education systems, tuition fees are determined by the parents' income, the number of children at home, and which child attends kindergarten.
The educational and upbringing process for young children in Japan has its own philosophy, principles, and norms, which should be reflected to a certain extent in the local educational environment as special examples. The main and important aspects in this education and upbringing are the following:
In Japanese kindergartens, even in a 1-year-old infant, a sense of self-confidence should already be formed, and the feeling of fear should be eliminated. That is, here the teaching-learning process starts from the child's first year of age and is evaluated as the initial stage of preparation for life;
When a child attending kindergarten reaches 2 years of age, they should already show serious interest in certain handicrafts and creativity in this field. The mentioned principles should already be instilled by this age. For this purpose, specially prepared programs are used. This program, of course, reflects the period not only from 1-2 years but up to 6-7 years of age.
It should be specially noted that although there is a division of minors into age groups in local preschool educational institutions, this is characterized as a criterion serving form rather than content. That is, the differentiation between those in the 1-3 age range and older children, and their separation into groups, is primarily intended as protection for minors. In reality, however, this mechanism should also be enriched in terms of content, and development parameters for each age group should be prepared.
Understanding the world in kindergarten – The serious English model
In England, preschool education, known as the “early foundation stage,” begins at 6 months of age and lasts for 5 years. Here, the main tasks of the educational and upbringing process until the child reaches 6 years of age are determined by their formation as a personality and the principles of school readiness. These principles are taken as a basis both in the preschool education system and at home.
In England, the school readiness education segment has many positive aspects. This should be evaluated from both content and organizational perspectives. For example, there is an interesting point in the kindergarten admission rules in the country. Children must undergo a certain assessment at 3 or 4 years of age to study in a higher-status kindergarten and develop themselves. During the assessment, they gather at the educational institution, play games that demonstrate their skills and what they have learned, dance, and converse with each other. That is, the examination mechanism does not only cover the minor's memory performance and intellectual abilities. Through the listed criteria, they can already demonstrate their level of readiness.
Teachers, by observing them, pay attention to how they behave in such an environment, to what extent they understand what the teachers ask them, and at what level they respond. Based on this, teachers determine the extent to which each of these children is ready to study at the school they represent. The main factor influencing teachers' choices is the children's abilities, skills, and level of readiness. Other factors, such as the financial capabilities of the child's family, almost do not affect this choice. Everyone prioritizes the prestige of their school.
Even if the admission rules in English kindergartens are of a pilot nature, their application in our local preschool institutions is very important. Because after such assessments, specially talented and intellectually-creatively capable children are selected and develop in the same environment.
Furthermore, children should be prepared in the following directions with these methods:
Free-spirited infants – US kindergarten model
A key feature of preschool education in the US experience is the daily schedule and the correct calculation of its usefulness for children within the firm. One of the main innovations that should be introduced into the Azerbaijani preschool education environment is precisely the admission, daily routines, and content standards from the US experience. Here, daily activities begin each day with children playing sufficiently for one hour. After the games for minors that day, they talk about any significant events, and converse amicably around interesting questions, without any complexes. The teacher can also recall a significant event. They can explain why it is significant, and each of the children can express their opinions.
Afterwards, each child begins to work based on a specific task given to them beforehand. These tasks can include playing, writing, reciting poetry, learning to read, learning to write, making a certain figure, etc.
The entire educational process is directed towards enabling the child to make judgments, form opinions on specific issues, make free choices, and develop feelings of independence and freedom.
In US kindergartens, in addition to the daily content program, the admission rules are also very interesting. To enroll a child in a preschool institution, parents must apply with a petition 4 months in advance. Before submitting documents, a medical examination is required. In local preschool institutions, there is sometimes a waiting list, but if an application is made in advance, the child's chance of getting into the chosen kindergarten is quite high. A place in kindergarten should be allocated to the child 4 months after the documents are submitted. Parents have the right to choose the duration of the child's stay in kindergarten, and at the same time, the obligation to strictly adhere to the contract.
The number of children in kindergartens is regulated by strict rules: no more than 4 children aged 3, or no more than 4 minors over 3 years of age, can be assigned to 1 educator. Moreover, the number of children in a group should not exceed 21. Therefore, it is not surprising to have 3-4 educators in one group.
The most distinct methods – Finnish examples
Finland's preschool education also has many interesting aspects that must be applied in our country. Here, kindergartens do not have a unified program but are based on the following principles: love, respect, and freedom of activity given to both children and their educators.
In Finland, local authorities are responsible for preschool preparation. All children up to school age, i.e., up to six years old, have the right to participate in preschool preparation. Both municipal and private kindergartens accept children from 9 months to 6 years of age, although Finnish children usually start attending kindergarten from 1.5-2 years of age. The compulsory stage of preschool education includes one year of preparation for children turning 6 years old. Children are usually involved in preparations at six years old and go to school at seven.
The standard working hours in kindergartens are between 6:00–6:30 and 17:00–17:45. In Finland, there are also kindergartens for minors whose parents work in shifts (doctors, police officers), and the daily working hours in such kindergartens are different.
Another exemplary point regarding kindergartens in Finland is their division into several types. This typology gives a strong impetus to the quantitative and qualitative development of kindergartens in the country. The application of such a typology could be very beneficial in our local preschool education segment, which consists only of state and private kindergartens: Municipal kindergartens. Each group has 10 to 25 children, and 2-3 teachers work with them.
In Finland, there are open kindergartens where parents can also observe their children. Such kindergartens resemble a kind of interest club: parents sculpt with clay, draw, read fairy tales, and play games together with their children. Activities in these kindergartens are free of charge. There are also preschool institutions in the country where activities are conducted in foreign languages.
In Finnish kindergartens, the number of children is regulated by strict rules: no more than 4 children aged 3, or no more than 4 minors over 3 years of age, can be assigned to 1 educator. Moreover, the number of children in a group should not exceed 21. Therefore, it is not surprising to have 3-4 educators in one group. In Finland, children of different ages can be mixed in the same group. There are groups with children from 0 to 3 or from 3 to 6 years old. According to Finns, this develops cooperation and communication skills in children.
Here, in preschool institutions, children's initiative and freedom are encouraged in every way. Teachers give children relative freedom: sitting in puddles and playing with wet sand is not forbidden. Children cannot be forced to do what they don't want; for example, if an infant doesn't want to eat, they are not forced.
As can be seen, there are many exemplary applications of the preschool education process in the Finnish education system. To eliminate the monochromatic attitude towards kindergartens in our country—the perception of kindergartens merely as child-minding institutions or nannying institutes—the use of such examples is very logical.
Every home a kindergarten - Israeli model
In the Israeli example, the main detail we can note is the special attention paid to home kindergartens. It is true that the “home kindergarten” and “family-kindergarten” models are applied in the experience of many countries. However, in Israel, this mechanism is implemented in a more organized manner. This is precisely the main detail we can take from the Israeli example for our local kindergarten system.
Israeli home kindergartens, which admit 5-8 children simultaneously, are organized by a homeowner who has completed a relevant specialized course. At the same time, the homeowner, working as an educator, can operate both as a private entrepreneur and with the support of the city municipality. Typically, home kindergartens in Israel do not have their own playgrounds. Therefore, the younger children are taken to the nearest playground in strollers, while the others hold hands, line up, and walk there themselves.
Here, the daily routine for infants (up to 1.5 years old) is planned taking into account their physiological characteristics. Children are not forcibly involved in activities such as reading books, listening to music, and playing games (including the development of gross and fine motor skills). Activities are conducted in a pleasant atmosphere, in an environment dominated by love and care, because at this age, the most important issue is to surround children with love and care.
1.5 years is a period of active exploration for children. Children learn everything they see with interest, get acquainted with various materials under the supervision of the staff, and participate in activities. It is at this age that children are introduced to the boundaries of what is allowed, and the foundation for the concepts of friendship and mutual relations is laid.
The staff act as educators and indispensable facilitators in the cognitive process for children in the older group (over 2 years old). Special attention is paid to speech development. However, the main point is to teach children the independence they will greatly need in the next stage of life.
Elmin Nuri
Researcher on Education Issues
