Diploma / Bachelor in Education (Early Childhood) at UNITAR International University Sabah.
Careers in Early Childhood Education
Monday, 05 December 2011
There is probably no job more important then caring for young children. The children of today are leaders of tomorrow and the future of our country is very much dependent upon a healthy upbringing of today’s young children.
Y Bhg. Datin Seri Panglima Datuk Raya Erom during the official launching of DIDI Childcare, SIDMA College City Campus on 12 April 2011
There are many rewarding careers in early childhood education, some require a college degree; but all do require a love for children, patience, and a nurturing attitude.
In Malaysia, there are two types of institutions that cater to pre-school children education, namely:
- Childcare Centre: Admit children below four years old.
- Kindergartens : Admit children between the ages of 4+ through 5+ (before they go to primary school).
Till September 2010; it was estimated that a total of 697,469 pre-school children (72.04%) were enrolled in the estimated 15,000 pre-schools throughout the country; of which 5,100 are private pre-schools, 1,600 run by Unity and Integral Department and another 8,300 by Kemas; the Community Development Department.
Under the Government Transformational Programme (GTP) National Key Results Area (NKRA), Malaysia is focusing towards 100% pre-school enrollment by 2020, thus making Malaysia one of the few countries to have successfully achieved this target.
The private sectors have been encouraged to complement to the success of this vision by the provision of launching grants worth RM100,000.00 to new private child-care providers (who charges fee of less then RM150,00 per child per month).
President of Sarawak Teachers’ Union, Encik William Ghani ever mentioned that pre-school classes were very much needed in Sabah and Sarawak. Thus more pre-school centre is expected to be opened in the very near future.
In the olden days, pre-school teachers do not possess any formal training in teaching field; they do so because of their love for children and their passion for teaching.
But nowadays, parents are more educated and more demanding. In order to meet their need and requirements, pre-school and childcare teachers must equip themselves with appropriate professional qualifications and the right skills. Also with parents spending more time at work these days, the reliance on pre-schools and childcare centre with qualified teachers has become more than necessary.
Sadly, the majority of the early childcare and educational practitioners in the country (providers, teachers and caregivers) are either less qualified or not well-trained. According to the child psychologist and President of Early Childhood and Childcare Education (ECCE) Council, Datuk Dr. Chiam Heng Keng, all childcare providers in the country are required to undergo the basic childcare course (KAKK) in order to obtain the ECCE certificates. The council also proposed that all ECCE practitioners should have the minimum qualification of a Diploma in Early Childhood Education.
Currently there are about 1,200 diploma and 500 degree holders of pre-school practitioners in the private sectors. Teachers in the government-run Kemas and Perpaduan pre-schools are required to attain a Bachelor degree in Early Childhood Education.
Diploma in Early Childhood Education at UNITAR International University, Sabah.
Diploma in Early Childhood Education at UNITAR International University, Sabah aims at preparing non-graduates, teachers, schools leavers and all those interested in entering the teaching profession to be better equipped with a more solid command of the professional pedagogical and subject knowledge; thus able to meet the demands , requirements and challenges of the teaching profession at childcare and kindergartens, both in the public and private centres.
- A pass in SPM / SPMV with minimum 3 credits
- Relevant certificate with minimum standards required by the Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA/LAN) or been granted MQA/LAN accreditation.
Career Prospects / Job Opportunities:
Diploma in Early Childhood Education graduates :
- Will be eligible to become early childhood educators and professionals in the field of both public and private sectors
- Will be professionally equipped to the advantage of continuing for their lifelong learning and to become educationalist, entrepreneur, creative writer, children’s homes and event organizer and promoters.
- Would be able to provide knowledge and skills which are most sought after by employers in government and non-government organizations, business and industries, especially in areas where an educational background is required to foster the development of talent and potentials to generate educational materials for young children.
Bachelor of Education / Early Childhood Educations (Hons):
Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood (Hons) will help to equip graduates with the knowledge and skills to be early childhood educators and related professionals
At present, there is a crucial shortage of qualified early childhood education teachers in both government and private institutions.
The demand for highly qualified teachers who will serve as expert resource persons in early learning programme is high. Thus, there are wide opportunities for graduates to work in schools, colleges, government and non-governmental agencies as well as the private sectors.
- Pass STPM with 2 principals, or
- A–Level, Foundations, Matriculation, and Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) with at least B Grades in 5 subjects including English.
- Diploma from IPTA or IPTS which has obtained minimum standards or granted recognition of accreditation by MQA or,
- Equivalent qualification which is recognized by Malaysia Government or Certificate from Polytechnics under the Ministry of Education, Malaysia.
Career Prospects / Job Opportunities:
Graduates of the programme can become Educator, Trainer, Manager, Executive, Deputy Principal, Principal, Consultant, Counselor, Guidance Officer and Student Advisor, to name but a few.
Read more at: http://www.unitar.my/fecs-programmes#.UG-Vqq5t2AM
More info about Early Childhood Education from:
UUNITAR International University, Sabah Regional Centre,
SIDMA college City Campus,
Jalan Bundusan, 88300 KOTA KINABALU.
Tel: 088-712560 / 732 000 / 732 012 / 732 020
Fax: 088 – 265 086
To apply online please click here at:
First Batch of DECE students to undergo Teaching Practicum
Friday, 16 December 2011
The first batch of Diploma in Early Childhood Education (DECE) students for SIDMA and UMTECH (formerly UNITAR) will undergo their Teaching Practicum in January / February Semester 2012. These students will need to undergo a 14 weeks practicum; 7 weeks in a Childcare Centre (Taska) and 7 weeks in a Kindergarten (Tadika).
Most of these students have selected the Sunshine Nursery and Sunshine Kindergarten as their practicum placement. As such, Y Bhg. Datin Rahimah Quadra, the owner and franchisor of Sunshine Master Care Kindergarten in Sabah, visited the college last Wednesday, Dec 14, 2011 for a short briefing with the students.
Being an educationist and a trainer, she explained to the students the basic needs and requirements to be a pre-school teacher. She also explained some of the assistance her institutions could offer; the possibility of training the students to be the future franchisee for Sunshine Master Care Kindergarten; or to set up their own businesses in early childhood education. One of the main factors to be successful in this field is to have the will and spirit to be completely immersed in the industry.
Prof Dr. Morni Hj Kambrie, CEO, thanked Y. Bhg Datin Rahimah Quadra for the time she spent with the students and hoped that the students will benefit from it. He also hoped that these students will do their level best during their practicum, putting what they have learnt into practice, and continuously improving and upgrading themselves to be a knowledgeable and competent early childhood education teacher.
Teo Eng Seng
Executive Teaching Practicum
UNITAR International University Sabah.