A TOTAL of 47 students finished a a crash course on Early Childhood Education (ECE) program that is being offered by the Graduate School (GS) and the College of Teacher Education CTE).

On Feb. 18, 40 students taking up Master of Arts in Education (MAEd) and 7 undergraduate students from CTE completed the course.

The ECE program is a partnership between MMSU and the Early Childhood Care Development Council (ECCDC). Its implementation was started after the signing of a memorandum of agreement last October between Dr. Prima Fe Franco, MMSU officer-in-charge; and Dr. Teresita Inciong, ECCDC chair. Both crash courses in the GS and CTE last for six weeks.

At present, the ECE program is one of ECCDC’s community-based flagship initiatives. This is under the National Child Development Center, which is more commonly known as Bulilit Center that is now being established in selected SUCs in the country.

The Bulilit Center is the ground level venue of the implementation of ECCDC activities, particularly the ECE, Early Learning Program, and the Family Support Program strategies.

The center aims to introduce the best practices of the integrated early childhood care and development services to children ages four years and below, serve as a laboratory for conducting research and innovations about ECCDC that will promote the continuing education and/or professionalization of ECCDC service providers, and act as a resource center for the community to enhance parenting skills and capabilities.

Graduates of this crash course are teachers whose general role is to address the cultural and special needs of young children they teach such as emotional, physical or educational. In general, the teacher engages the children in a variety of activities that are developmentally appropriate and looks out for each child’s well-being. -- (By R.E. Andres)