Strategies that can be used to ensure good practices in Health and Safety at Early Childhood Education (ECE) Level in Warren Park / Mabelreign District Primary Schools.

Abstract

The focus of the study was to find out the strategies that can be used to ensure good practices in health and safety at Early Childhood Education (ECE) level. The study was a survey of Kuwadzana 3, Kuwadzana 7 and Cold Comfort primary schools in Warren Park /Mabelreign District. The study adopted a descriptive survey design and data generated was through interviews and questionnaires. Three (3) TICs and three (3) head teachers were purposively selected and thirty (30) ECE teachers were randomly selected for the study. The findings of the study showed that health and safety issues are not being observed fully in schools. Most schools fail to provide adequate safe water and proper sanitation, such as age appropriate toilets for learners. The study revealed that administrators should play a vital role in providing proper water and sanitation facilities for learners. The study also find out that, outbreak of diseases such as diarrhea are now common in learners. Lack of monitoring of learners as they visited toilets and hand washing is also a challenge in most schools. There is also no safety in learners as they engage in learning and play activities due to lack of monitoring by the teachers. Some teachers state the issue of high teacher-pupil ratio as the major challenge they face to properly ensure good health and safety practices at ECE level. The study recommends that education stakeholders may ensure provision of good health and safety practices in learners through following guidelines which are stipulated in Statutory Instruments (SI) which guide health and safety issues of learners. This can be effectively implemented through monitoring, supervising and evaluation by the responsible stakeholders. Support systems also need to play a pivotal role in supporting health and safety issues in schools.