Early childhood education or ECE can be defined as a comprehensive approach to policies and
programs for children from birth to eight years of age, their parents and caregivers. The
Government of Zambia refers to Early Childhood Education as an organized form of education
provision for children between the ages of three and six. Such provision is made in the form of
pre-schools. This definition does not include education for children from birth to the age of two,
yet education takes place from birth to death. ECE is considered as the growth that takes place
from pre–conception until age six. This definition goes a step further to include the pre-
conception period which also has an impact on child development and education. Early
childhood education is, in theory, of great importance to the nation’s Ministry of Education.
Currently, under the Ministry of Education, educational provision is guided by the national
education policy document, Educating Our Future, which focuses on equitable access to quality
education at all levels. Therefore, this academic piece of writing will shade more light on the
challengers that have faced stake holders in provision of early childhood education in Zambia?
However, early childhood education or ECE teachers face common challenges in almost all
areas. Most schools lack basic resources such as stationery, work cards and games posing a
further challenge to the teachers and impacts negatively on the learners. In most cases, preschool
teachers have to be creative in order to come up with these learning materials. A conducive
environment also enhances children’s self-esteem when it is designed with their needs and
development in mind. The physical environment has a strong impact on both young children's
learning and development. Environments that are well-designed will allow children to explore,
give them a sense of control and will allow the children to engage in focused, self-directed play,
and the social interaction which are meant to develop various skills, positive attributes and
values. This is in line with Froebel (1985) who stated that play has a positive impact on students
in their development; therefore, it should be a large part of the curriculum in schools. Pre-school
teachers in the rural areas could be affected by lack of infrastructure. Infrastructure refers to the
basic systems and services that are needed in order to support an economy, for example,
transport and communication systems and electricity and water supplies: Early childhood
education is very important and hence requires support from all stake holders. Education
infrastructure includes suitable spaces to learn. This is one of the most basic elements necessary
to ensure access to education. School classrooms are the most common place in which structured
learning takes place with groups of children. (MOE, 1996).
1|Page
, The major challenges for teachers in early childhood education is that we lack materials to be
used. You find that you have a class of maybe fifty pupils against ten pupils’ books. And at
times you don’t even have materials to use. Maybe you want to do charts, but no crayons, no
paper. Everything you have to dip into your pocket, even with your meager income that you
receive at the end of the month (2006). Lack of materials and infrastructure. Currently, like at
this school, we don’t have enough classrooms. We need classrooms. That’s why you’ll find
some students come at different times because we don’t have enough rooms. We need more
rooms. We don’t have enough books. Teachers have to share books and we don’t have modern
equipment for teaching like overhead projectors. We don’t have any overhead projector here.
Most early childhood environments in western province were generally not spacious enough,
with no play materials for both indoor and outdoor activities. Very few schools had play parks
and sizeable classrooms. Enough learning and teaching materials, makes the school to become
relaxing, stimulating, exciting, thought provoking and challenging for the learners. The absence
of all these facilities poses greater challenges to the teachers. (Prinsloo, 2005).
While learning also takes place in a variety of different types of spaces - tents, temporary
shelters, plastic sheeting, shade of trees, places of worship, people’s homes, and so on—families
and communities expected formal education to take place in classrooms that were designed for
safety and comfort. Indeed, infrastructure plays a big role in the provision of early childhood
education. When centers have poor infrastructure, children’s movements are restricted both
inside and outside the classroom, hence reducing active participation from young children.
(Biber, 2006).
Apart from learning materials, most preschools in the rural areas need to be furnished with play
parks. Children need to be accorded chance to play outside. When children are able to select
what they learn, they will be more engaged and able to attain the information. “Play allows
young children to select their learning, especially if it facilitates their attainment of a broad range
of developmental goals; therefore, it must be a vital component in the early childhood education
curriculum" (Saracho, 2012). Teaching younger children at preschool can take more work than it
would on the primary level. Their motivation and desire to learn will largely depend on the
availability of fascinating materials, which will require the teacher to be creative. The preschool
teacher will be burdened with helping the preschooler in the foundation necessary for future
2|Page
programs for children from birth to eight years of age, their parents and caregivers. The
Government of Zambia refers to Early Childhood Education as an organized form of education
provision for children between the ages of three and six. Such provision is made in the form of
pre-schools. This definition does not include education for children from birth to the age of two,
yet education takes place from birth to death. ECE is considered as the growth that takes place
from pre–conception until age six. This definition goes a step further to include the pre-
conception period which also has an impact on child development and education. Early
childhood education is, in theory, of great importance to the nation’s Ministry of Education.
Currently, under the Ministry of Education, educational provision is guided by the national
education policy document, Educating Our Future, which focuses on equitable access to quality
education at all levels. Therefore, this academic piece of writing will shade more light on the
challengers that have faced stake holders in provision of early childhood education in Zambia?
However, early childhood education or ECE teachers face common challenges in almost all
areas. Most schools lack basic resources such as stationery, work cards and games posing a
further challenge to the teachers and impacts negatively on the learners. In most cases, preschool
teachers have to be creative in order to come up with these learning materials. A conducive
environment also enhances children’s self-esteem when it is designed with their needs and
development in mind. The physical environment has a strong impact on both young children's
learning and development. Environments that are well-designed will allow children to explore,
give them a sense of control and will allow the children to engage in focused, self-directed play,
and the social interaction which are meant to develop various skills, positive attributes and
values. This is in line with Froebel (1985) who stated that play has a positive impact on students
in their development; therefore, it should be a large part of the curriculum in schools. Pre-school
teachers in the rural areas could be affected by lack of infrastructure. Infrastructure refers to the
basic systems and services that are needed in order to support an economy, for example,
transport and communication systems and electricity and water supplies: Early childhood
education is very important and hence requires support from all stake holders. Education
infrastructure includes suitable spaces to learn. This is one of the most basic elements necessary
to ensure access to education. School classrooms are the most common place in which structured
learning takes place with groups of children. (MOE, 1996).
1|Page
, The major challenges for teachers in early childhood education is that we lack materials to be
used. You find that you have a class of maybe fifty pupils against ten pupils’ books. And at
times you don’t even have materials to use. Maybe you want to do charts, but no crayons, no
paper. Everything you have to dip into your pocket, even with your meager income that you
receive at the end of the month (2006). Lack of materials and infrastructure. Currently, like at
this school, we don’t have enough classrooms. We need classrooms. That’s why you’ll find
some students come at different times because we don’t have enough rooms. We need more
rooms. We don’t have enough books. Teachers have to share books and we don’t have modern
equipment for teaching like overhead projectors. We don’t have any overhead projector here.
Most early childhood environments in western province were generally not spacious enough,
with no play materials for both indoor and outdoor activities. Very few schools had play parks
and sizeable classrooms. Enough learning and teaching materials, makes the school to become
relaxing, stimulating, exciting, thought provoking and challenging for the learners. The absence
of all these facilities poses greater challenges to the teachers. (Prinsloo, 2005).
While learning also takes place in a variety of different types of spaces - tents, temporary
shelters, plastic sheeting, shade of trees, places of worship, people’s homes, and so on—families
and communities expected formal education to take place in classrooms that were designed for
safety and comfort. Indeed, infrastructure plays a big role in the provision of early childhood
education. When centers have poor infrastructure, children’s movements are restricted both
inside and outside the classroom, hence reducing active participation from young children.
(Biber, 2006).
Apart from learning materials, most preschools in the rural areas need to be furnished with play
parks. Children need to be accorded chance to play outside. When children are able to select
what they learn, they will be more engaged and able to attain the information. “Play allows
young children to select their learning, especially if it facilitates their attainment of a broad range
of developmental goals; therefore, it must be a vital component in the early childhood education
curriculum" (Saracho, 2012). Teaching younger children at preschool can take more work than it
would on the primary level. Their motivation and desire to learn will largely depend on the
availability of fascinating materials, which will require the teacher to be creative. The preschool
teacher will be burdened with helping the preschooler in the foundation necessary for future
2|Page
