Learning through Play (LtP) is a pedagogical approach that emphasises the use of play-based activities to teach young children. LtP supports the holistic development of children and promotes their development from a cognitive, social, emotional and physical perspective. Through the Improving Teaching Skills on Playful Learning for Africa's Youngest (IT'S PLAY) project, Ministries of Education in Zambia, Rwanda and Uganda strengthen LtP in Early Childhood Education (ECE) by introducing and strengthening playful learning for the development of emergent literacy and numeracy skills.
In November 2023, the IT'S PLAY master trainers, drawn from the Zambia Ministry of Education's (MoE) Insert system, oriented 810 primary school leaders on the importance of LtP in ECE. The Head Teachers and Senior Teachers were drawn from Lusaka district and from the Copperbelt districts of Kalulushi, Chililabombwe, Chingola and Lufwanyama. The orientation served to capacitate school leaders in their role of:
- Creating a positive learning environment for all learners,
- Supporting teachers to implement play-based teaching methods for ECE learners
- Reaching out to parents and communities to raise awareness on the crucial role of play-based learning, in children's development.
Follow-up training will target Zonal Insert Coordinators (ZICs), School Insert Coordinators (SICs) and ECE teachers. Equipping this workforce with the necessary knowledge will facilitate the establishment of quality ECE centres, in line with the Ministry's vision.
Call to Action
The Ministry of Education, Provincial Education Officer (PEO) for Lusaka, Mr. Felix Ngoma, officiated the training in Lusaka and took advantage of the opportunity to emphasise the important role of school leaders in establishing ECE centres, in line with the Ministerial directive of 2012, instructing all primary schools to open an ECE centre.
The orientation gave school leaders an opportunity to deepen their understanding of how very young children learn. In the words of Mr Mubita Mubita, Head Teacher, Chainda Primary School:
"I found the use of visuals and charts in teaching ECE to be interesting and effective. The hands-on participation in the ECE class demonstration gave me valuable insights into the concept of learning through play. The emergent literacy package has simplified the process of planning and teaching, which is fantastic. Moreover, the motivational address by the Provincial Education Officer (PEO) had a positive impact and we can assure about the prospects of establishing an ECE centre at Chainda primary school in the coming year''.
Background of Early Childhood Education in Zambia
In Zambia, ECE has traditionally been a preserve of the affluent urbanised schooling population and managed by the private sector. This means that, until recently, low-income and rural-based children had no access to ECE services. In recognition of this, in 2012 the Ministry of Education (MoE) decided to include ECE as part of the regular public school provision and directed all primary schools to open an ECE centre. The following year, MoE began recruiting ECE teachers and placing them on the teachers' payroll for the very first time. This move boosted enrolment of student teachers for ECE teacher training. While more recruitments have followed over the years, there are still many gaps both in the number of teachers available and in the quality of teaching in most ECE centers.
