The quality of early childhood services Urgenitas Towards Compulsory Basic 9 Years

The quality of early childhood services Urgenitas Towards Compulsory Basic 9 Years
By Arda Dinata
http://ardaiq.blogspot.com

Early Childhood Education (early childhood) is a construction effort that is intended for children aged 0-6 years in aspects of education, health and nutrition improvement. These efforts by the institutions / environment consisting of family, school, care institutions, religious and parenting and peer influence on growth of children.

The developmental psychologists suggests that development of the child is determined by the interaction between heredity and environmental factors. The recognition of parents, education, and other macro environment including government policies (decisions) about efforts to improve the quality of children, environmental factors have a direct effect or indirectly on child development, but development is still influenced also by nature children have.

Growth conditions are good kids will have an impact on the quality of human (child) in the future. Although the concept of quality of man himself is still abstract, but according to Juwono Sudarsono (1998), former minister of education and culture, revealed that the human quality, marked by the characteristics: First, intelligent, creative, skilled, educated and pious to God Yang Maha Esa. Second, healthy and live longer. Third, independent and have access to a decent life.

In this case, which determines the quality of these men is the development of early age related health problems, nutrition, and intellectual stimulus. That is, we can not put only one dimension only. But, the handling of these three dimensions (health, nutrition and intellectual) is to begin in the womb (prenatal).

Therefore, efforts to child development through early childhood programs, especially the children in the area, minus the critical and must be a priority early childhood programs. The problem now is how to have this early childhood program really supports the Compulsory Basic Education (compulsory education) 9 years old? Then, strategies and increasing access to quality early childhood services such as what needs to be done to the realization of a healthy child, bright, cheerful and noble, and has a readiness to enter further education?

Early childhood services

Currently, the quality of learning and efficiency of the implementation of national education is still not satisfactory as expected. For example, low quality of learning outcomes and the persistence of students who drop out (DO), both at primary and junior secondary school. This condition seems to still require effort to improve the quality and efesiensinya.

Moreover, based on a series of studies over 30 years, especially in the United States, has shown that programs of early childhood development can improve school performance, both in elementary, junior; can increase productivity and earnings in the future; and reduce dependence on health services and social (Soedijarto; 1998).

On that basis, it is reasonable to implement 9-year basic education, and efforts to improve the quality of the relevance and efficiency of national education, the existence of early childhood programs into a strategic thing and important in the development of children's education.

However, the current constraints are still felt from early childhood programs is the limited access and not maximum quality early childhood services in the community. For example, from 4.5 million children aged 0-6 years in the new West Java as much as 14.28 percent of the underserved early childhood education (early childhood), both formal and nonformal. Therefore, early childhood targets to a million children in West Java, or 36.21 percent felt very heavy, if without the participation of all levels of society (People's Thoughts, 26/6/07).

While the condition of early childhood services themselves, in West Java based on district / city in 2005 showed 370,565 children coverage (8.13 percent) for early childhood early childhood non-formal and 370,565 children (8.13 percent). In fact, according to Chief Executive and the Race Playing in Mapolda Jabar, Novillya Virginia, said the number of them in West Java, 4.5 million children (PR, 26/6/07). These conditions, the authors believe, is not much different from the situation in other provinces.

Meanwhile, for the implementation of early childhood activities in the community itself is carried out through two approaches. First, a formal early childhood in the form of TK / RA. Second, non-formal early childhood among a Play Group (KB), a Child Care (TPA), integrated health, early childhood and other similar units.

Early childhood development

A program is good, if the activity was noticed local conditions and involved (read: use) the existing potential in society optimally. Likewise with early childhood programs must consider both aspects. In other words, early childhood programs should be integral with similar programs that have the same goal. If it is not done in a mature, so instead of support and sympathy from others who come by, but even antipathy from other community groups.

It can describe the factual circumstances that is what is happening in the Regency area. Garut, West Java. As reported Newspapers Priangan (19-20 June 2007 edition), the presence of early childhood programs in the villages Kab. Garut, complained of by a number of management education kindergarten (TK). With the rise of the program fear it would threaten the existence of kindergarten schools that have long stood.

In addition, the rise of early childhood programs, also creates jealousy. The reason, early childhood education received help from the government, while the kindergarten education is not.

Addressing the last thing, opinion of the writer, it appears due to surface was the lack of socialization and communication of the existence of early childhood programs are integral with similar programs in the area (read: public), such as TK, RA, TPA, and others.

That is, if early childhood socialization program is done well and correctly, then the manager kind of kindergarten education and the like do not need to worry and feel threatened. Because his own early childhood programs designed for children aged 2-4 years, while kindergartens for children 4-6 years old. Even though in reality, the writer saw in the field division is sometimes not completely obeyed and no significant perbeadaan.

In the meantime, if viewed from the goal, the program aims to introduce early childhood education from an early age and is particularly intended to accommodate the children from poor families. While education in kindergarten average families can afford. And certainly early childhood students were restricted only 30 children, while TK is generally not restricted.

Therefore, the development of this early childhood programs in the future, should definitely work together with similar institutions, whether formal or informal. The reason such education in kindergartens and early childhood programs are actually the same to manage the golden age of the child to prepare to enter further education (read: to support basic education compulsory 9 years). It was here, seems to be prepared the right strategy from the early childhood programs in the community.

Access Improvement Strategy

Implementation of early childhood development in Indonesia, actually has been done through various efforts. Both efforts directly (such as Child Care, Group Play, and Taman Kanak Kanak), or indirectly (Posyandu, Toddlers Family Center, and the various activities carried out by the PKK, KOWANI). However, unfortunately, these services are still fragmented, and synergic tersikronisasi not well, and the number is still very limited in reach.

On the basis of the facts so far and targets associated with early childhood programs, then it would be nice if the strategy taken in the implementation of early childhood programs are more focused on the empowerment of early childhood education through non-formal approaches, and of course still have to work together and coordinate with institutions institutions of early childhood education which is formal.

For that, the non-formal approach, uniting step integrated health and Toddlers in the Family Center realization of early childhood programs is something that is realistic and will further improve the achievement rates of early childhood programs. In this case, there are at least three strategies that can be associated with efforts to increase access to quality early childhood services in support of non-formal basic education compulsory 9 years.

First, union activities and BKB Posyandu should have implications in the form of a counseling service that provides nutrition and health problems are inadequate for the mother and child (read the article: early childhood and the fulfillment of the optimum nutrition for the body of a child), providing information about ways to educate and empower early childhood correctly.

Second, must be supported by integration at the community level. That form of public facilities, cadres, and training curricula that are well integrated. In another sense, integrated health and BKB should disinergiskan with all the programs that have a purpose on the needs of children aged 0-4 years and / or with TK. So the transition from home to early childhood services prior to entering elementary school can run smoothly.

Here, education is needed for early childhood as a basis for further education, among others: education & kinesthetic gestures; education to develop verbal / linguistic; and education to develop social emotional skills.

Third, the existence of an integral program in the bureaucracy relationship undertaken by various sectors and departments related to the field of empowerment of early childhood education and family welfare. Another meaning, is the need for a comprehensive movement to develop early childhood programs through IEC.

Meanwhile, Prof.. Dr. Soedijarto (1998), in his paper titled: Guidance From Early Child Development Investing For The Future, says there are 7 approaches and alternative services that can be done to increase access (coverage) and quality of service coaching program early childhood education is.

First, pealayanan directly to children through child care programs, play groups, and various forms of institutions that serve children directly and institutionalized.

Second, education "caregives" both parents (mother), or voluntary agencies through programs of visits from house to house, family education, integrated health, or family Toddler Center.

Third, increased community participation through correctional programs to train cadres and leaders as it did in Malaysia and Thailand.

Fourth, the development of skills and semi-skilled experts to provide coaching models that can attract attention and possible motivation of the community to follow the model developed by the experts.

Fifth, increasing public awareness and increasing public demands the need for the program.

Sixth, develop a network of communities that could support the implementation of a program, such as the establishment of regulations that indirectly encourage or strengthen the whole community will implement programs for early childhood development.

Seventh, develop national kebijakasanaan that underlie the program implementation is consistent and continuous.

Finally, through the strategies and efforts to increase access to quality early childhood services as above, it is expected that the existence of these early childhood programs can produce a healthy child, bright, cheerful and noble, and has a readiness to enter further education. Rather, supports programs compulsory 9-year basic education .***

Author, is an educator and blogger in the Qur'an and Inspiration Assembly Reality Nature / MIQRA Indonesia, www.miqra.blogspot.com.

This article was included in early childhood Journalism Competition National Level 2007, organized by the Directorate of early childhood - the Directorate General of Special Education Department School of Education.