Kid’s Ark Pre-school, safe as Noah’s ark

09 Dec, 2016 - 00:12 0 Views
Kid’s Ark Pre-school, safe as Noah’s ark

The ManicaPost

INFANT education is critical. Perhaps it is more critical than later stages in the life of a learner, for this is where learners are made or broken. It is my pleasure to feature the good stories of some of the best ECD centres in Mutare.

Kid’s Ark Pre-School is clearly one of the good stories. Owned and directed by Mr Phillimon Marowa and wife Margaret, this little ‘university’, one of quite many in Mutare, started to operate on May 2, 2013 with only an operating licence from Mutare City Council.

Speaking at the 2016 graduation ceremony recently, one of Kid’s Ark directors, Mr Marowa announced that the ECD centre was now registered with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.

“It is my pleasure to announce to you today that we are now fully registered with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education,” said Mr Marowa.

“We provide a learning environment conducive to focusing on the total development of the child, encompassing physical, mental, social, moral, cognitive, creative and emotional development,” he added.

Mr Marowa told The Manica Post that Kid’s Ark prioritised the children’s health and safety. Talking about being as safe as Noah’s Ark!

“We run two classes; ECD-A (Green Class) which caters for children between three and four and ECD-B which caters for children between five and six and ready to go to Grade One,” said the Seventh Adventist, Mr Marowa.

He revealed that the centre whose mother-school is Murahwa Primary School has already adopted the new ECD syllabus currently introduced by Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.

“Murahwa Primary School co-ordinates for Kid’s Ark activities such as athletics, music, ball games and drama,” Mr Marowa said.

He also revealed Kid’s Ark events in 2016 as Horse Riding on February 24, involving 44 pupils, two Consultation Days-one in March and another in July and an education trip to Eco-Park in Headlands. Mr Marowa thanked parents for supporting the ECD centre and having concern for their children’s work.

“However, we would like to encourage those parents who did not come to the children’s school events to attend next time,” he urged.

“We also wish to remind parents that the ECD curriculum is not ‘child’s play,” he emphasized. “We really need to work together on the child.”

The director’s report included new acquisitions and purchases for the centre.

“This year we managed to purchase a big screen Plasma television set from the toy fund.

‘‘The set is very useful for both effective illustrative teaching and learning. With Civic-Day money we managed to buy material for the Seven-Play Area, balls, blocks, toy cars, model huts, model village homes, among others,” Mr Marowa revealed to parents, friends and relatives of the little graduands.

 

Kid’s Ark target for 2017
“The ECD centre is targeting to have a fully equipped kids’ computer lab where each pupil at any given time and lesson shall be able to access an own computer. Currently our children share three computers aided by one big screen TV,” Mr Marowa told The Manica Post.

In conclusion Mr Marowa thanked the parents for entrusting their children with them and choosing Kid’s Ark Pre-School. The guest of honour was Beulah Heights private school headmaster, Mr Simon Mudehwe.

There is no doubt privately owned and run ECD centres are doing well, not only in setting up environments in which play and work ignite an educative instinct and mind for hundreds of children, but also complementing government in its task of providing relevant and effective early childhood development.

This reporter is an avid and passionate educationist. I observe with interest and keen watchfulness during this ECD -graduation period as I appreciate both the success stories and failures of centres around Mutare whose business it is to provide preparation and direction for children towards personal unfolding and achievement of desirable mental and moral growth.

As an educationist and naturally educational commentator, I observe with anxiety and pleasant reservation how most private entities, whether ECD centres, primary schools or indeed secondary and high schools tend to compete instead of complementing each other to share ideas and wisdom for the good of all. This is important.

Another interesting observation is how church members, especially Seventh Day Adventists, run most of these privately owned ECD centres in Mutare, perhaps in other towns and cities around Zimbabwe. This must be celebrated.

Growth without spiritual growth is no growth at all. Legendary Seventh Day Adventist founder and church driven education advocate, Ellen G. White knew it best. Thanks to her prophetic insight into education!

When our education reformers today advocate development of a third H-the heart, or ubunthu which refers to the same domain, they are consciously or unconsciously referring to spiritual growth and development in which God cannot be omitted.

No wonder Pastor Bimha of the Seventh Adventist Church in Mutare in his devotion remarks at the Kid’s Ark emphasised the importance of character-building in education, especially during the early stages of a child’s education.

“If I were to choose between academic excellence and character excellence in a learner, I would choose Character,” said Pastor Bimha.

He harped on this aspect of human development and emphasized: “An education without God is dead. And make no mistake about it; God is the best builder of character.”

This reporter therefore views these church or God-driven ECDs as not only supporting and complementing Government, but like Jesus feeding people with food and the Word, and above all feeding children with education fit for purpose (WISDOM). Whether the cause is God-inspired or business-inspired or a bit of both, churches have an important stake in the development of mankind.

Makorokoto  Kid’s Ark Pre-school and more centres which I intend covering on the Education Page or may not be able to cover! Well done! Patriotism is not talking good about one’s country.

It is doing something good for one’s country. And what you are doing, Mr Phillimon Marowa and your wife, Margaret, is noble and patriotic.

Certainly Kid’s Ark is as safe as Noah’s ark.

Thank you. May the good Lord bless you more and continue to give you children to develop. And of course continue to give you more wisdom.

Your Education Page reporter and columnist wants to wish all schools and ECD centres in Mutare and beyond, a Merry Christmas and
Prosperous 2017.

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