Male teachers urged to develop interest in teaching kindergarten children

Male teachers have been urged to develop interest in teaching children at the kindergarten, to help change the notion that, teaching at that level was a preserve for female teachers.

This came to light during the closing ceremony of a five-day workshop in Koforidua, organised for early childhood care givers by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), in collaboration with BUPL of Denmark, a development partner of GNAT.

Mr Palham Oyiye, National Co-ordinator of GNAT, BUPL and the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Department of GNAT, said female teachers were the only people who seem to give attention to the children.

He, threfore, threw a challenge to male teachers, to also take up that role, since most women in Ghana were occupying challenging positions that used to be the preserve of men.

Mr Oyiye added that children from infancy up to eight years lied within the formative years, and as such, proper attention needed to be given to them.

Speaking on the theme for the workshop, “Children Learning Through Play,” Mr Oyiye said children learn a lot when at play.

He, therefore, urged early care givers to do well to make classrooms of the children decorative, and their playing materials educative.

He charged early care givers to identify children with special needs, and give them the necessary attention, because they were also part of the class.

Ms Lydia Anim, Early Childhood Representative on GNAT's National Executive, pleaded with the early care givers to make their classrooms colourful, because children were attracted to colours, and could learn the names of colours as well.

She pleaded with the Education Directorate to give care givers the needed support, to enable them live up to expectation.

Ms Helena Johannessen, a representative from Denmark, advised early care givers to have a good teacher-relationship with the children, to enable children learn from them easily.

Ms Johannessen pointed out that the future of Ghana depended on the young ones, and as such, they needed to be treated gently.

Source: GNA