Profile, reasons, beliefs and school preferences of pre-school parents

Abstract

Research studies have established that critical years in a child's life are from birth to six years of age. During these critical years, basic character values, abilities, personality, skills, aptitude, attitudes and knowledge are formed. These qualities when properly developed shape the individual's overall perspective and preparedness for life. It has been confirmed by studies that the experience and learning pre-school children undergo during the first six years of their life have a lasting effect on their intellectual development as well as on the development of their social and physical skills. The Department of Education, Culture and Sports, recognizing the need for and importance of pre-school education issued a policy document in 1971 encouraging school divisions to establish public pre-school classes whenever possible. These public pre-school classes as well as private pre-school provide the early stimulation needed if we are to catch the pre-school children during their formative years. In one of the researches made by the Bureau of Elementary Education in the Pre-school Service Contracting Program in SY 1997 to 1999, results revealed that children who underwent pre-school had a smoother transition from home to formal schooling. Children to have developed their self-confidence and their preparedness to learn was evident. However, in many so-called pre-schools that attempted to accommodate the increasing demands for pre-school education, a variety of curricular offerings surfaced. Instead of catering to the needs of the child and his total development, more pre-schools focused on academic development. This study aimed to investigate the profile, reasons, beliefs and school preferences of parents in sending their children to pre-school. Specifically, the study aimed to answer the following questions: 1. What is the profile of parents of pre-school children in Baguio City in terms of: a. age b. sex c. educational attainment? 2. What is the level of agreement of pre-school parents with respect to specified reasons, beliefs and school preferences? 3. How do the profile of parents of pre-school children affect the level of agreement on reasons, beliefs and school preferences? The research design adopted the descriptive method. An attitude scale questionnaire checklist was constructed and administered to respondents consisting of seven hundred fifty one (751) parents of pre-school children from private and public schools during the school year 1998-1999. The attitude scale questionnaire checklist consisted of thirty two (32) items where items one (1) to twelve (12) were reasons of parents in sending their children to pre-schools; items one (1) to eighteen (18) were on beliefs and one (1) to two (2)were for school preferences. In the statistical analysis the percentage and weighted mean were used. The chi-square test was used to find out the significant distribution of the variables while the Friedman Analysis of Variance was used to test the significant differences. 1. Majority of the respondents were female with ages ranging from 31-40 years old. They were educationally prepared where they reached college level, finished vocational courses and obtained bachelor's degrees. The respondents differed significantly in the distribution in terms of age, sex and educational attainment. 2. The parents agreed on reasons and beliefs but undecided in school preferences. 3. There were significant differences among the respondents where grouped according to age and educational attainment on reasons in sending their children Lo pre-schools. 4. There were no significant differences as to age, sex and educational attainment as to beliefs and school preferences. Based on the findings, the following conclusions were made. 1. Female parents were more involved in the pre-school education of their children. 2. Parents send their children to pre-school for it is their responsibility and concern to prepare their children for formal schooling. 3. Parents strongly believed that pre-school education gives a lasting effect on the intellectual and social development of the child. 4. Parents' preferences of schools did not matter whether it is a private or a public pre-school. 5. Older parents and parents with high educational attainment were more aware on the importance of pre-school education. On the basis of the above findings, the following recommendations are put forward: 1. There is a need for male parents to be more concerned and involved in the early childhood education of their children. 2. Parents should be intellectually and emotionally mature enough to be aware of the importance of pre-school education and translate their awareness into ways of developing their children. 3. The public schools should initiate PTCA or community-based pre-schools. 4. There is a need that pre-school program be a part of the educational ladder. 5. Other researchers are encouraged to do similar studies focused on other pre-school areas not covered in the study.