The University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus has rolled out a new range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes including one designed by Montserratian lecturer Dr Sheron Burns.
UWI’s nine new programmes which fall under the faculties of Humanities and Education and Science and Technology, are expected to begin in the upcoming September semester.
The programmes include BEd Early Childhood Care and Education, developed by Early Childhood Education specialist Dr Burns who was first seconded to the university in 2014 from the Government of Montserrat. Since the ending of the secondment, Dr Burns has been lecturing at the Barbados campus and developing the course which is designed for people who want an “exciting career working with and advocating for young children.”
Burns shared that is has taken roughly three and a half years from conception, development to approval in October 2017 and now the delivery in the upcoming academic year 2018/19.
She holds a Bachelors and Masters in Elementary Education from the University of the Virgin Islands, a PhD in Elementary Education – Early Childhood from the University of Alberta and University Teaching and Learning Post-Grad certificate from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill
About the course
- No prior teacher training is required.
- Upon completion of the programme, candidates will be certified to work with children at the pre – primary and primary levels (first three grades) with children from birth to seven years.
- In addition to exposure to theory regarding the history and philosophy of early childhood education locally, regionally and internationally, candidates will be engaged in continuous field experience through opportunities to observe, collaborate with practitioners, engage in projects with children and parents in early childhood settings in addition to participating in a 10 week practicum.
The course is for people who want careers as :
- Caregivers: care for babies, toddlers and pre-primary aged children (birth – 4 years) in informal settings such as private homes and hotels.
- Nursery nurses: care for babies and toddlers (birth to two years) in formal settings such as day cares, nurseries and crèches.
- Nursery/pre-primary school teachers: care for and educate children from 2 years to 4 years.
- Primary school teachers: care and educate children up to 8 years old.
