Research proposal sample
ECD support systems and sustainability of community based centres
The first objective was to examine the relationship between ECD support systems and sustainability of community based ECD centres. Findings presented in chapter four indicate that the relationship is positive and significant; hence, ECD support systems play most of the roles a part from making repairs and recruitment of volunteers.
The two roles “making repairs” and “recruiting of volunteers” received unfavorable ratings indicating that respondents did not perceive them as central roles played by ECD support systems. This means that there are certain roles that ECD support systems leave for communities to handle so that they are fully in charge of them. This is consistent with the findings by Yaman. A. et al,. 2010) who said that the extent and quality of parental involvement in early childhood settings is inevitably harnessed and for it to succeed required commitment of all stakeholders taking certain roles which they have to be directly responsible and accountable at all cost. This indicates that roles ECD support systems play are essential for the sustainability of community based ECD centres.
All in all. As far as ECD support systems and sustainability of ECD centres in some districts in central Uganda are concerned, ECD support systems mainly play the following roles: paying staff salaries, making policies and decisions to improve standards of the centre, monitoring centre activities, planning and budgeting for the centre, encouraging parents to register their children at the centre, organising workshops and refresher courses for caregivers, employing caregivers and support staff at the centre, sensitizing parents on the importance of ECD and overseeing the centre activities. This is in line with what Ejuu, (2012) argued that effective stakeholder engagement in community ECD programmes enables better planned and more informed policies, programmes and services. Similarly, (MOES, 2008) also noted that engagement of stakeholders involves participation in the decision-making process and budgeting for the planned activities at the centre, improved information flow, opportunity to road-test policy initiatives or proposals with stakeholders.
Community participation and sustainability of community based ECD centres
The study was also set to find out whether there is a relationship between community participation and sustainability of community based ECD centres. Findings indicate that the relationship is both positive and statistically significant; hence an improvement in community ECD centres; whether parents take their children to ECD centres (Table 4.9), the type of schools most parents take their children (Table 4.10), why parents do not take their children to ECD centres (Table 4.11), the enrollment of pupils at the centre (Table 4.12), why communities cannot sustain ECD centres (Table 4.13), whether communities can sustain ECD centres without NGO support (Table 4.14), why communities cannot sustain ECD centres (Table 4.15), if centre management committee members are allowed to make decisions (Table 4.16), and the influence of community participation on sustainability of ECD centres (Table 4.17).
Regarding whether parents take their children to ECD centres, findings indicate that most parents within the community take their children to private nursery schools. This is in connection with findings by Calman, L. J. & Tarr-Whelan, L. (2005) who noted that schools that cannot offer learning experiences that a child may not obtain at home, particularly if he or she is living in a disadvantaged environment force parents to take their children to performing schools with better qualified staff. This means that parents take their children to private nursery schools because of they want them to develop all the competences needed before they join another level.
When it comes to why parents do not take their children to ECD centre, the study identified two reasons that is unqualified caregivers and low standards at the ECD centre. This is supported by Pence, A. (2004) observed that often disadvantaged centres lack the ability to attract and retain competent staff and access to useful professional development opportunities. This means that some of the centres lack qualified caregivers and this makes parents to take their children to private schools where children’s individual skills are developed and promoted holistically by professionally trained caregivers.
In as far as enrollment of pupils at the centre is concerned, the findings from the study indicated that low standard and unqualified caregivers as the reasons for low enrollment at the ECD centres. This is still in line with what Pence, A. (2004) said that often disadvantaged centres lack the ability to attract and retain competent staff and access to useful professional development opportunities.
Similarly, Calman, L., & Tarr-Whelan, L. (2005) also noted that low enrollment, dropout of learners and lack of play equipment at school is an indicator of low standards and poor management system in community based ECD centres. This means that low enrollment in ECD centres is not only limited to low standards and unqualified caregivers. However, there are other factors such as poor management, dropout and absence of outdoor play materials contribute to low enrollment.
For the case whether communities can sustain ECD centres without ECD support systems, the study findings indicated that communities cannot be able to sustain ECD centres without the help of NGOs. This means that although ECD centres are established with the aim of developing the quality of education at an early age, communities have no capacity to maintain these centres.
On the issue of why communities cannot sustain ECD centres, the study findings revealed indeed they cannot sustain these centres mainly because communities are not cooperative. This is in line with study findings by Pence, A. and J. Shafer, (2006) who stated that parents in rural areas see innovations established by NGOs as wastage of time and money. The community ECD centres cannot operate without the support from ECD support systems because of many factors, one of them being uncooperative and unwillingness to volunteer on some activities unless they are paid some money. Ejuu, (2012) in his study equally observed that communities in rural settings see ECD initiated programmes as avenues for making money and for selfish interests by those who run them. This means that ECD support systems have to find all possible way of making sure that communities are brought on board if these ECD centres have to be sustained by communities or else they risk collapsing immediately NGOs withdraw their support.
In line with the above a report by Ejuu (2012) noted that communities look at ECD initiated programmes brought by funders are there to erode their cultural beliefs and values, hence parents’ being uncooperativeness among parents and NGOs.
On the influence of community participation on sustainability of ECD centres, the study revealed that community participation leads to fulfillment of most of the roles. For example, in Table 4.17, all the influences received favorable ratings, indicating that respondents perceived them as central factors that influence communities to be able to sustain ECD centres. This means that if communities are not sensitized and motivated by NGOs their support can influence the existence of community ECD centres in the country.
Role of communities in the sustainability of ECD centres
The third objective was set to find the role of communities in the sustainability of ECD centres. The findings are discussed under four issues namely: roles performed by parents at the centre; why communities are not fulfilling their roles; roles parents engage in voluntarily at the ECD centre and why the enrollment of children is not growing at the centre as follows:
Regarding roles performed by parents at the centre, the study findings indicated that parents make contributions for children’s welfare as well as collecting children from the centre. This means that once parents make their contribution for the welfare of the children the rest of the roles are left for the NGO and the caregivers as professional in that area. Consequently, some parents don’t contribute completed yet their children are treated equally which sometimes brings some staff and parents not to be cooperative hence the thinking that the NGO should provide everything to the centre. This is why report by Ejuu, (2012) observed that communities in rural settings see ECD initiated programmes as avenues for making money and for selfish interests by those who run them. This means that to some parents, it is the centre to provide everything since it’s there to support children.
About parents not fulfilling their roles, the study findings revealed that parents fail to fulfill their role because they go to work to make ends meet so as to sustain their families and also that they expect NGOs that initiated the programme to take full responsibility of each and everything that takes place at the centre. Duncan, et al., (2012), asserted that unlike urban areas, majority of communities in rural areas actively participate in activities such as burials, traditional marriages, cleaning of wells, circumcision ceremonies and church activities with little participation in the learning of their children in ECD centres. This means that most of the parents have certain activities which keeps them occupied them most of the time hence not finding time to participate in the activities of the centre where their children study from.
When it comes to the roles they engage in voluntarily, the study findings indicated two activities parents engage in voluntarily: Making bricks for construction and taking their children to the centre. This means that most parents prefer volunteering in activities that do not require expertise knowledge and skills. Even if they are fully engaged in most of the centre activities, it is important they are sensitized to be part of the centre progrmmes, just like Heckman, and Masterov, (2004) stated that stakeholders who are involved in ECD programmes have a critical role to play actively in promoting awareness and respect of cultural differences, but also in ensuring that all children experience quality education.
In as far as the roles parents engage in voluntarily, the results seem to point out making of bricks for construction and taking their children to the centre. this means that parents at least endeavor to participate in the centre activities despite the fact that they have other commitments in their families. This is partly in line with the European Economic and Social Committee article, (2010) that asserted that all stakeholders involved become agents of social change and to make a positive impact on sustainable programmes. They have a responsibility to facilitate action as well as awareness on the relevance of community ECD centres to the entire members of society such that they actively participate and be able to sustain it.
Finally, regarding the question of low enrollment at the centre, what seems to come out include two major factors: low standard at the centre, too much workload especially on the side of the teaching staff and under staffing. This means that the centre loses its learners to private nursery school nearby as a result of not only the above factors but also due to lack of play materials for learners, low standard, poor infrastructure, unqualified caregivers and over demanding for funds from the parents to pay non-teaching staff and for buying food for learners.
