RTRC Asia

A SIGN near the reception desk has the words of a Chinese proverb: "All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today."

Indeed, at the Regional Training and Resource Centre in Early Childhood Care and Education for Asia (RTRC), the seeds for the next generation of educators are being sown in students like 19-year-old Corrinne Cheong.

She recently completed a full-time 15-month diploma course in early childhood care and education there.

In January 2007, after her O levels, she took up a part-time job as a kindergarten assistant teacher.

She decided to further her studies when she read about RTRC's programmes in the newspapers.

Her initial doubts about joining the programme were cleared after she found out that RTRC's certificates are recognised by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.

Corrinne wanted to be an early childhood educator as she has always enjoyed teaching and interacting with kids.

She said: "To my relatives' children, I was always the 'da jie' (big sister) who helped to take care of the younger ones.

"Choosing this path enables me to be able to make a difference in someone"s life."

She said she hopes to be the principal of her own childcare centre in the future.

She has pleasant childhood memories of her kindergarten teacher, whom she still keeps in touch with.

"I would always hug and kiss her. She knows I'm following in her footsteps to teach kids," said Corrinne.

Her course included a 200-hour practicum, during which she taught eight children, all aged 5. What she liked best about it was the satisfaction of overcoming challenges, such as getting an especially active child to settle down.

RTRC adopts a learner-centred approach in their teaching. Case studies, field visits, role-playing exercises and games help to enhance the learning experience.

Corrinne said: "Once, we were tasked to come up with our own math game for children to play and learn from at the same time. The course is very hands-on, which I appreciate because it helps me understand better. It's not just absorbing book knowledge, I learn through doing."

A variety of assignments are available. For example, those who are musical can work on staging a performance or composing tunes as part of their course work.

Group work

Group work allows students to collaborate while maintaining individual accountability. Each learner is clear about the task and how they contribute to the group.

Since RTRC was established in 1989, it has trained more than 10,000 students. It offers courses from Certificate level all the way to Master's level.

In recent years, RTRC has trained about 1,000 students per year, half of whom are diploma students.
Enrichment programmes, like conferences and workshops, are also conducted regularly.

RTRC's assistant director Lynn Heng said: "This enhances early childhood professionals' learning experiences and enables them to constantly upgrade themselves."

Corrinne plans to take up a degree course next at RTRC.

"My family and friends are supportive of my choice of profession. There is a misconception that early childhood education just involves nappy changing and feeding. It's much more than that, we actually develop the child," she said.

Miss Geraldine Teo, 32, a principal from The Little Skool-House International, who got her specialist diploma from RTRC, said the public, and especially parents, need to be better informed about the work of early childhood professionals.

She said: "We have sessions for parents with RTRC trainers and students. This increases the confidence of parents in our teachers...

"A child's brain development before the age of 8 is very easily influenced. The work of teachers with young children is as important as that of professors with university students."