Childcare management. Situation and solutions



To research and propose feasible managing solutions for childcare activities in nursery school is a necessary in order to improve quality of preschool education and applying in the schools in the renovation period. We have conducted a survey on situation of childcare activities in some nursery schools and proposed seven measures to manage childcare activities in kindergartens to improve quality of childcare in nursery schools.

Key words: Vietnam nursery school, solutions, management, childcare, quality of education

Managing activities of childcare and education is a part of preschool education management. To manage activities of childcare and education in kindergartens is to manage two activities: activities of preschool childcare and activities of preschool education. Besides, management of educational activities, childcare management is an important content in management of kindergartens.

1. Situation of childcare management in nursery schools in Thanh Hoa city, Thanh Hoa province.
   1. Situation of planning development of childcare activities in nursery schools.

Based on plans of Thanh Hoa Department of Education and Training and Thanh Hoa city Division of Education and Training, nursery schools develop plans to manage activities of childcare and education in general, as well as childcare activities in particular. Types of plans of childcare activities include long-term plans, mid-term plans, short-term plans, master plans, department, and individual plans that focus on year-school plans. In detail, nursery schools in Thanh Hoa city can develop plans as follows:

− Plan to improve quality of childcare in period 2015–2020.

− Professional plan in the school year.

− Plan for monitoring, supervision, and inspection of managers: rectors and vice rectors in charge of expertise.

− Teamwork plan.

− Plan of care and education of each teacher and members who participate in activities of childcare.

− Developing children’s life

Through research of plans to improve the quality of childcare, schools have developed plans fully. These plans identify solutions and assign each mission for each member in school to implement.

However, the planning development of schools are still not yet clear, implementation solutions are not detailed for each division and individual to implement. Although nursery schools have implemented the plan of school year and the master plan for whole school, plans for each division and individual are not yet concerned [2].

1.2. Situation of implementation organization of childcare activities in nursery schools.

After developing the above plans, managers have to organize and direct to implement these plans, to assign responsibilities for each division, individual in schools.

Via reality in Thanh Hoa city, managing organization of nursery schools in current years has implemented quite good. However, activities of childcare have still not yet met general goals of Sector as well as of each school. Problems of publicity and democracy activities in schools have not been taken seriously. The ability to apply information technology in management and education is limited. Mass organization and school councils have not been effective and have not developed their roles completely, so that they have not had a positive impact on the quality of childcare [3]

1.3. Situation of implementation direction of childcare activities in nursery schools.

Implementation instruction of childcare activities is a direction for teachers, staff in the school to implement goals of childcare activities. We have surveyed opinions of leaders of Division of Education and Training such as Head of Division, Vice head of division, and staffs on steering the implementation of childcare activities in nursery schools in Thanh Hoa city.

Assessment scale:

− From 8–10 points are good points

− From 6.5–7.9 points are fair points

− Below 6.5 points are average points.

Table 1

Results of the survey about implementation direction of childcare activities

Contents	Mean point of assessment	Classification
To direct development of nursery school network and conditions to serve activities of care and education in nursery schools.	6,59	4
To direct activities of childcare − To implement living conditions − To take care of health care and safety protection.	7,16	2
To direct activities of child education − To implement program of childcare and education.	7,19	1
To direct implementation of coordinated activities among schools, family and society.	6,51	6
To direct development, training staffs and teachers	7,09	3
To direct inspection and supervision about implementation of childcare and education activities.	6,58	5
Mean	6,85

Results in the table above showed that:

In general, nursery schools in Thanh Hoa city have focused on the implementation direction of childcare activities. Schools have implemented quite well direction of childcare such as: to direct development, training staffs and teachers; to implement completely contents of childcare; to direct implementation of coordinated activities among schools, family and society to direct inspection and supervision about implementation of childcare and education activities and to direct development of nursery school network and conditions to serve activities of care and education in nursery schools.

However, the direction still have many limitations, the direction of childcare activities in schools is lack of systematic feature. It is a copying feature and effectiveness is not high [6].

1.4. Situation of inspection and assessment of childcare activities in nursery schools of leaders of Division of Education and Training, head of division, vice-head of division, and staffs on the inspection about implementation of childcare activities in nursery schools in Thanh Hoa city.

Table 2

Surveying results of evaluation and inspection

Contents	Mean point of assessment	Classification
To inspect and assess development of nursery school network and conditions to serve activities of childcare in nursery schools	6,33	4
To inspect activities of childcare − To implement living conditions − To take care of health care and safety protection	6,95	3
To inspect implementation of coordinated activities among schools, family and society.	6,33	6
To inspect development, training staffs and teachers	6,96	2
To inspect assessment about implementation of childcare and education activities.	6,33	5
Mean	6,72

In general, nursery schools in Thanh Hoa city have focused on inspection and assessment of plan implementation of childcare activities. However, the inspection and assessment of teachers and children are still formal, are not yet evaluated practical quality, and evaluation follows the emotion.

In a word, management of childcare activities in nursery schools in Thanh Hoa city has many positive changes. However, management still has many limitations. This is due to the way to organize and manage; professional qualifications of managers of schools are not yet meet requirements of society in educational management [7, 8].

2. Some solutions to manage childcare activities in nursery schools.

Based on research of the current situation of management of childcare activities in nursey schools in Thanh Hoa city and analyzing causes of this situation, we propose seven measures to improve management efficiency of childcare activities.

Solution 1: Improving awareness for managers and teachers about the importance of childcare activities.

Solution 2: To ensure facility conditions to serve activities of childcare.

Solution 3: Good implementation of policies, to encourage and motivate managers, teachers, staffs in schools.

Solution 4: Improving training and professional qualification for teachers.

Solution 5: Strengthening management and renovate contents, methods, and forms of childcare and improving to apply information technology for management of childcare activities.

Solution 6: To implement educational socialization, to coordinate among school, family and society in childcare activities.

Solution 7: Promoting inspection, assessment of childcare activities.

3. Surveying results of feasibility and urgency of these solutions.

We have conducted a questionnaire to survey on two staffs of Division of Education and Training, 52 managers and 145 teachers of 52 nursery schools in Thanh Hoa city, Thanh Hoa province.

Table 3

Surveying results of feasibility and necessity of these proposed solutions

Solutions	Rate%
	Necessity			Feasibility
	Very necessary	necessary	unnecessary	Very feasible	Feasible	Unfeasible
Improving awareness for managers and teachers about the importance of childcare activities	83.6	16.4	0	85.5	14.5	0
To ensure facility conditions to serve activities of childcare	85	15	0	81	19	0
Good implementation of policies, to encourage and motivate managers, teachers, staffs in schools	85.3	14.7	0	75	25	0
Improving training and professional qualification for teachers	100	0	0	90	10	0
Strengthening management and renovate contents, methods, and forms of childcare and improving to apply information technology for management of childcare activities	95	5	0	92	8	0
To implement educational socialization, to coordinate among school, family and society in childcare activities	90	10	0	83	7	0
Promoting inspection, assessment of childcare activities	97	3	0	95	5	0

Based on the surveying results about opinions of teachers and managers of nursery schools in Thanh Hoa city, Thanh Hoa province showed that: proposed solutions are very necessary for management of childcare activities in nursery schools, also have a high feasibility, and match common conditions of nursery schools in Thanh Hoa city.

References:

1. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (2013), the resolution of the 8th plenum of the XI National Assembly on fundamental and comprehensive renewal of education and training (Resolution No. 29-NQ / TW).
2. Ministry of Education and Training (2001), ECEC Strategy from 1998 to 2020, Institute of Internal Affairs.
3. Ministry of Education and Training, No. 07/2011 / TT-BGDDT (Promulgating the Regulation on Educational Evaluation Standards for Preschools, Hanoi, February 17, 2011)
4. Pham Thi Chau, Tran Thi Sinh (2000), Some issues of preschool education management, Hanoi National University Publisher.
5. Phan Van Kha (Editor, 2014), Vietnam Education Management Reform — Some theoretical and practical issues, VNU Publishing House.
6. Tran Thi Bich Lieu (2001), Skills and Practices for Preschool School Management
7. Department of Education and Training in Thanh Hoa city, guidance for the implementation of the school year 2015–2016; 2016–2017 school year.
8. Department of Pre-school Education (2005), Handbook on some issues of care, education, nutrition and environment for preschool children.