What Do Preschool and Grade One Teachers say about School Readiness and Transition from Early Childhood Education to Grade One? A Case of Selected Schools in Zambia’s Chongwe and Lusaka Districts

Abstract

Globally, many countries are facing an unprecedented learning crisis and Zambia is not an exception. Children are getting through the education system without the acquisition of basic literacy, numeracy and other critical skills and competencies [1,2]. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation with many schools experiencing prolonged school closures, with Early Childhood learning centers being the first to close and last to open. The World Bank mentions that COVID-19 school related closures and other disruptions have worsened the learning poverty. Despite several studies showing the great benefits that attending ECE has not only on children’s school readiness and individual development but also on the economic development of their countries, the ECE sector is still underdeveloped. Access to quality ECE is acutely low. In Zambia, less than 35% of grade one entrants had ECE experience [3]. If this situation is left unaddressed, we risk losing a whole generation of children with no basic literacy and numeracy skills which are critical in leading a productive and meaningful life. This study was aimed at examining how ECE supports school readiness and transition by analyzing preschool and grade one teacher views and perceptions on school readiness and transition from ECE to grade one. The study, which was part of a broader research on the role of ECE in promoting successful transitions and school readiness revealed that while there were many similarities between preschool teachers and grade one teacher views on importance of ECE and factors that could positively enhance transition and school readiness, there were also significant differences on what skills both teachers felt were important determinants of school readiness.