Healthy development in a child’s early years provides the building blocks for a variety of essential qualities – including educational achievement, economic productivity, responsible citizenship, lifelong health, and the foundation for communities that will continue to shape future generations. In fact, the early years, from birth to the age of eight, lay the foundation for all learning and development that will take place over a child’s lifetime.
Given the impact of early childhood education, it is incredibly important to ensure that children receive the right level of care, compassion and education at this important period of development. To help nurture aspiring early childhood teachers, James Cook University (JCU) in Singapore offers the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education), where students will learn key skills and understand enriching perspectives to better equip them for teaching and caring for young children.
JCU also values practical learning and self-development, and provides a holistic environment where students can pick up real-world skills and experience to stand out in an increasingly competitive job market. Students taking up the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) program will get the unique opportunity to experience workplace learning in a range of early childhood and school locations. This allows students in the program to constantly apply the knowledge they have gained in practical situations – through planning, teaching and assessing young children’s learning, and more, in a classroom setting.
Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a massive shift in the way education was delivered, and home-based learning and online delivery of education became the norm. Even under these circumstances, JCU quickly adapted and gave students in the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) program the opportunity to tackle and master the challenges of teaching young children in a virtual environment. In this scenario, students were tasked with producing a video that teaches a particular topic, for children at home, along with audio scripts to support parents in helping their children.
As graduates enter leadership positions in kindergartens and preschools or teaching positions in international schools, they can change children’s lives by helping them discover important skills and wisdom at an early age, while providing a safe, reliable and nurturing environment for them to grow. And one day, it will be their turn to change the world.
Learn more about Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) program offered at the Singapore campus of James Cook University.
