Early childhood education

PRESCHOOL years are a crucial time for the acquisition and honing of a child's language skills according to Prof Dr Santhiram, Dean of Wawasan Open University's (WOU) School of Education, Languages and Communications (SELC).
As such and in accordance with the Ministry of Education's requirement for preschools to have a diploma qualification before the year 2020, WOU's Diploma in Early Childhood Education (DECE) more than fits the bill, providing affordable, quality education and a flexible study mode via open distance learning (ODL).
Commenting on the affordable DECE programme offered by WOU, kindergarten teacher Nur Liana Atika Nazarudin claims, "I have the freedom to study at my own pace. This programme helps me to understand children better, and to use their natural curiosity to create a learning plan that is developmentally appropriate."
Due to the lack of time for most working adults to invest in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) on a full-time basis, the university is able to lessen the financial burden of adult learners by striking partnerships with ECCE providers, so that it can be done on a part-time basis.
As a people’s university and being socially-inclusive, new DECE students that enrol for the three-year diploma programme in the upcoming Part-Time Study July 2017 intake will experience financial relief in the form of paying less than RM10,000 for the entire programme.
The programme comprises 21 core modules covering courses in various areas such as psychology, technology, health, safety, curriculum planning and assessment, literacy and management.
To enrol into the DECE programme, you should possess a minimum of three SPM credits or equivalent. If you do not meet the regular entry requirements, you can gain admission into this programme via Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) provided you are at least 20
years old and possess relevant work experience.
To find out more about WOU's part-time programmes, log on to wou.edu.my, or call its toll-free careline at 1-300-888-968 or WhatsApp 019-4749323. Also visit WOU Info Day at the Main Campus, Regional Centres and Support Centres nationwide every Saturday and Sunday in July 2017.