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Errant preschools must conform with new Statute or else…
View(s):A legal amendment passed this month has made it more difficult for errant preschools to continue to operate in the Western Province.
The Western Province Provincial Council (PC) Preschool Statute No 1 of 2013 has replaced an earlier law which came into being 10 years ago. As per the new legislation, the maximum fine for anyone found in violation or breach of the rules governing preschools is Rs 50,000 (the minimum fine is Rs 10,000).
“In the past, if we ordered a registered preschool to close down, they could go to courts and obtain an interim injunction to prevent its closure,” said Western Province Preschool Unit Director Wimal Sarathchandra. “Under the amended Statute, we can go to courts in the first instance, make our case and get a court order to close the preschool.”
With the passing of the 13th Amendment, the registration, supervision, administration and monitoring of preschools was devolved to the PCs. This includes those run by international schools, religious or non-governmental organizations and the corporate sector. As of June 1, 2013, there were 3,299 such preschools within the Western Province alone.
Preschool age of a child is considered to be from the third year up to the completion of the fifth year.
The new law has a broader set of objectives when compared with its predecessor. The earlier Statute primarily described the attributes of a holistic preschool education. There is reference to the creation of a safe environment for children, the promotion of pleasant conversation, dignified behavioral patterns, healthful habits, good virtues, skills and physical development, intellectual and creative capabilities, co-existence and a stable foundation for their future education.
In contrast, the objectives of the new Statue include deciding and implementing the province’s policies on preschool education; making parents of preschool children and the public aware of preschool education; improving knowledge, skills and attitudes of all teachers engaged in the province’s preschool service; and deciding standards for preschools.
There is also to be established a ‘Provincial Preschool Development Fund’ which will allow for greater financial autonomy. “Earlier, we did not have separate finances for our unit,” explained Mr. Sarathchandra. “We would get some money from the PC budget. When that ran out, PC members would sometimes allocate some money to us from their budgets, but this meant we were under obligation towards them.”
The Preschool Development Fund will contain all sums granted by the PC as well as money earned by the preschool unit and other aid or donations.
Meanwhile, standards earlier set for preschools remain unchanged. For instance, a minimum building accommodation of 10 sq.ft. per child must be allocated, with one toilet for every 25 children. There must be a protective wall or fence around the preschool, while a first aid box with sufficient equipment and medicine must be maintained.
There must be facilities for playing, basic sports equipment and a pleasant environment. There must be one teacher for every 20 students with adequate furniture and equipment. There must also be a suitable place for the observance of religious rites.
Another significant feature of the new Statute is that, preschool teachers who have not fulfilled the basic educational qualifications specified by law, but have more than 10-years experience, can continue to work after passing an examination held by an advisory committee.
- Namini Wijedasa
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