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VI guilty of hiring untrained daycare facilitators - Smith

- Umoja host says Daycare Teachers should hold nothing lower than an Associate’s Degree
Smith says VI children in early childhood stages should be under the care of qualified professionals. Students of the Mactavious Tiny Tots Preschool are photographed by VINO.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - The ages between 1-7 are the years where a child should learn the fundamentals of what is to come later in life, which is the sole responsibility of a teacher/ facilitator working at any Daycare or Early Childhood facility.

Umoja’s host Cromwell Smith aka Edju En Ka stated that the early years of any child are the most formative years. He added that the Virgin Islands (VI) is guilty of placing under-qualified resources (teachers) in the area of Early Childhood Education.

The host stated that this is a major problem in the VI.

“Out of the whole Caribbean the VI might be the biggest culprits of putting the worst resources at the beginning of our children’s lives.”

Mr. Smith made these comments on his talk-show aired on May 31, 2012.

Mr. Smith said on his local talk-show that persons within the VI who are without High School Diplomas are babysitting and teaching the children of the country. He added that at this level there should be an older, wiser and more intelligent person with the infants.

“This is a huge problem and needs to be corrected.”

To correct the situation, he proposed that regulations or legislation be put in place that says “if you have a day care centre, you need to have appropriately skilled individuals.”

Smith stated that persons working in the daycares in the Virgin Islands who are in full contact with the children and are responsible for the day to day activities and teachings should hold nothing lower than an Associate’s Degree.

By ensuring that individuals who are hired at the early childhood stages hold nothing lower than an Associates Degree, he stated that a child will be more developed and prepared for entering the Primary School stage.

He added that qualified teachers present at the early childhood level will have the knowledge of how to monitor and evaluate the children on which child is slower and needs catching up or more attention than the others.

“No child should be way behind, because there should be early detections by the skilled facilitators.”

15 Responses to “VI guilty of hiring untrained daycare facilitators - Smith”

  • Period Cramps (03/06/2012, 09:13) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Cromwell do you know how much it would cost a school to recruit such qualified people? DO you think people in the BVI can afford $500 per month for daycare/school fees? That's why it cost so much in the US for example for daycare fees, you get what you pay for. You have a good point, but you need to look at all sides. The schools cannot afford these people as they compete with Government as it relates to Teachers. For them to compete they have to charge fees like Cedar and not all schools are interested in doing that. I am not bashing Cedar either, their fees may seem high to the regular man on the street but I'm sure they have top notch qualified teachers who demand proper compensation for their services, it goes hand in hand.
  • true (03/06/2012, 09:16) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I don't think they hold the sole responibility as the parents have a lot of input but then again I don't believe he is a parent so doesn't really know what he's talking about, nothing changed there then.
  • pops (03/06/2012, 09:56) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    most parents just wnat someplace to put there children
  • need work (03/06/2012, 11:19) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    lawd ah mussy comwell yu have a talk on everyting
    • Observer (03/06/2012, 18:14) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      What a farce!! I wonder what he would suggest as the base requirement to work in the High School?! I know the ex-pats who were accepted needed to have UNIVERSITY DEGREES and EXPERIENCE. I also know for a fact that that the locals entered the very secondary school teaching system with SCHOOL LEAVING Diploma!! I am talking about a system where it is a fact that some department Heads do NOT hold university degrees! What is this man talking about?! Someone please tell me in what his area of expertise is; what does he hold a degree in?!
  • fmp (03/06/2012, 12:39) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Daycare is just that, a daycare center for children under five who cannot enter the public/private school system; therefore these children are just placed in these daycare center for safe-keeping while their parents go to work; these places are not learning institutions. While they teach them their abc's and 123's, there is no sylabus for a daycare; so get over it Cromwell. Find something else to talk bout
    • samantha brookes (03/06/2012, 21:16) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      it is quite evident that most of you are responding solely to the person who wrote the article and not to the subject of the article. Yes Mr. Smith is a father and a proud member of our community who knows what it takes for us to take the right path of development and I fully agree with him that these ppl need to be trained as they are the ones who our children are with for most of the day. Please remember that children learn by example in all things and if their caregivers are exhibitting incorrect practices and behaviours then this is what our children are coming home with. So I wish ppl would start responding to the issue and not to the persons, maybe we will be able to solve more of our problems.
  • the big show (03/06/2012, 21:00) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    ok myron and ronnie lets get the laws on the books
  • ausar (04/06/2012, 07:11) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Edju En Ka, you are SO RIGHT. Here in the US Virgin Islands, why, one cannot have a daycare without taking courses at the local university here. Those days of uneducated persons being responsible for child care here are over. Perhaps we should have the Assistant Commissioner of Human Services here, Mikal Rymer-Charles-a Virgin Islander(British)- institute similar programs here in collaboration with the University of the Virgin Islands!
  • The Time has come. (04/06/2012, 10:24) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    comwell u will do better than deing an idiot and try go sit down. No one needs an associate degree to teach young children. WHat u need a is body which oversees a proper cirriculum in early childhood learning which all nurseries need to abide by..These can be tutored by individuals who are taught the fundamentals...A perfect example can be found here:http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/schools/for-parents-and-carers/types-of-school-ofsted-inspects
  • god sent (04/06/2012, 11:38) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I fervently believe that children don't belong in daycare. They should be raised by their families, by the people who care most about them in the world.
  • SHUT UP (05/06/2012, 05:53) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    i wouldn't cost them a damn cent to get qualified practitioners in the vi for daycare.. I'm currently studying teaching of that age and to get the qualification is free so ya'll just shut the hell up!


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