Entering the workforce may, to most, mark their well-anticipated commencement from education into the adult world. But for early childhood educators Sumitra and Jessie, learning is just another day at the job.

By Nabilah Husna A. Rahman

The line between studying and working is a fine and often blurred one if you are in the early childhood education sector. This vocation entails quality education for the children and, at the same time, provides lifelong skill sets for the educators.

Starting off as an English teacher with NTUC First Campus in 2005, Sumitra Hari was able to obtain her Degree in Early Childhood Studies with Wheelock College through her employer’s ‘Interest Free Study Loan’ scheme. She has since progressed to her current position as Principal for My First Skool in Woodlands.

“When you’re a teacher, you look at things from a different perspective,” she says. “And when you’re a principal, it’s a holistic approach that you have to take. I’m growing and learning at the same time.”

The indistinct separation between work and study also manifests itself for Jessie Lim, a trainee teacher at My First Skool in Bukit Panjang. Her weekly two- to three-day attachment with the centre is a requirement for the one-year WSQ Professional Diploma in Early Childhood Care & Education (Accelerated) course, fully sponsored by NTUC First Campus.

“I’ve gone through four modules – it’s really very hectic because there are a lot of courses,” the 22-year-old admits. “But I love attending the course because it’s very enriching to learn about what I can do in the centre.”

Captain of the ship
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood in 2008, Sumitra dipped her toes in various sectors of the education profession. She taught primary and secondary school students on a voluntary basis and also tried educating pre-school children. Sumitra says, “When children come to us from a strong healthy functioning family, it makes an educator’s job much easier. But if they do not, our job’s even more important, especially when we deal with young children.”

“Pre-school education is the beginning of a child’s learning process – for the first time, the child steps out into a new environment, away from his mother’s lap. I felt the satisfaction when I was working with young children because you see them grow gradually during their younger years. It was something very meaningful and fulfilling – no words seem enough to express that feeling of accomplishment,” she says.

Sumitra also expresses her hopes for the future of Early Childhood Education, saying, “I believe a few years back, many did not realise the essence of pre-school education. Looking forward, I am confident that parents will start looking up to early childhood educators as they do to MOE teachers. The standard of quality childcare will definitely be better defined with higher level of expectations as the Government has raised the academic and professional qualification requirements for pre-school educators progressively over the years. Teachers will all be trained to be in a better position to lead the children towards lifelong learning.”

Studying and working is no easy feat, but at NTUC First Campus, the benefits are palpable.

“I think the experience was very fruitful because I could relate to what I was doing,” says Sumitra, recalling her stint whilst doing her degree programme. “At the same time, I could implement things that I was learning in school. Since I was teaching the K2s, it was very challenging, because I had the responsibility to prepare them for Primary School and we had many other events taking place in school at the same time. However it was all worth the effort and hard work. I gained opportunities to learn and grow to be a better educator and person.”

True calling
Sumitra handles both interaction with staff, parents and children as well as the paraphernalia of educational arrangements behind the scenes such as “factors on how to improve the environment, the curriculum, customer service and basically the entire process including the food they eat”. On the other hand, Jessie’s job requires her to deal directly with the children in her centre and carry out curricular activities with them.

Yet, Jessie and Sumitra’s paths are parallel – both intent on providing a conducive learning and social environment for the children in the centres. Prior to becoming a Trainee Teacher with NTUC First Campus this year, Jessie was pursuing a Diploma in Business Computing with Republic Polytechnic – a route she had picked partly because of the stringent criteria for diploma courses in Early Childhood Education. Childhood pedagogy, however, remained her first love.

“What’s interesting about early childhood education is that I learn a lot about human growth and development,” she shares, her enthusiasm for the profession apparent. “Now that I’m attached to the centre, I can learn from the course and actually see what’s going on, and why some things are done a certain way.”

At the outset, it would be easy to mistake Jessie as a veteran, through observing the camaraderie she shares with the children and their effortless interaction. Being relatively new to the field, she finds that the learning curve is rather a steep one, although overcoming the challenges is extremely rewarding.

“I think one of the main challenges is when the children don’t cooperate with us, and the class starts to get messy,” she says. “We overcome it by using different approaches with them, be it the hard approach where we show them that we’re angry that they’re not listening, or the soft approach where we empathise and listen to them, and they’ll listen to us.”

When asked about the gratification she experiences working with children, Jessie enthuses, “It’s the joy you see in the children’s faces. I have worked with a child who has Down’s syndrome, and I had to really get her to trust me and believe in me, and to get her to smile. It’s not easy, but it’s really rewarding.”

Since crossing the threshold of Early Childhood Education in March earlier this year, Jessie finds that she has grown significantly while surrounded by the children and her fellow teachers. “I have become more mature – or rather, motherly – because I’m taking care of children. Responsibility is very important. Personality-wise, I think I have learnt to be very patient,” she says jovially.

Jessie hopes to embark further up the professional ladder, setting her sights on a position as a Senior Teacher upon securing her Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education.

Not just an alternative
Talk to anyone with an affinity for children and you’ll find that they might have, at least once, considered early childhood education as possible vocations.

Yet, the importance of employing a qualified and passionate teaching staff for childhood education is one that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

“Becoming a pre-school teacher can be a very rewarding career. Before going into early childhood education, they should ask themselves what they want to accomplish at the end of the day, and not use it as an alternative. They have to persevere and definitely be confident to be able to follow up even if they face challenges. Most importantly, they should possess a natural fondness for children,” Sumitra affirms. “I would suggest they give themselves some time to work in a childcare setting first, instead of taking up the course and then, halfway through, realise that it’s not something that they want.”

Jessie agrees, emphasising the gravity of being “really clear about what they want”. “The profession requires commitment,” she says. “It’s not just an eight-hour job, but rather, 24-hours. Even when I sleep, I think about it!”

Sumitra and Jessie both cite the importance of understanding the culture and goals of the employer when it comes to deciding who to work for. “I chose NTUC First Campus because they take pride in taking care of their staff by providing training and development opportunities as well as promoting best practices,” explains Sumitra. For Jessie, “a comfortable working environment where the organisation shares common vision and goals” is important when choosing an employer.

They add that understanding an employer’s provision for work progression should also be a criterion for choosing an organisation to work for. “NTUC First Campus sees the prospect of each staff and how far they can progress in the organisation,” says Jessie.

In agreement, Sumitra adds, “At NTUC First Campus, they enhance and define the career path for performing staff, which I believe is crucial for individuals who are seeking a secure long-term job.”