As we close out Heritage month, we turn the spotlight on one of our early childhood practitioners! Ms Allia White is a Trained Teacher at Runaway Bay Infant school in St. Ann. The ECI recently became a certified ECI. Ms White and her team represent a host of professionals in the early childhood sector who are the every-day heroes taking care of and educating our children. We salute all our practitioners who are our early childhood heroes! Enjoy reading our recent interview with Ms White, Trained Teacher.

What do you do at your ECI?

I am an Early Childhood Practitioner, I teach the 5-year-olds at my ECI. I am also a member of the Critical Incident Committee where I take the role of Medical Coordinator, a member of the Welfare Committee, and Coordinator of the Dance Club.

Why did you become an Early Childhood Practitioner?

When I was fifteen years old, I was a Sunday school teacher with responsibility for children ages 2 – 6 years old. I taught Sunday school classes for 5 years and I enjoyed it. I soon realized that I had a love for teaching young children. I also discovered a creative side of me that I never knew existed. Through that experience, I developed a passion for a career that involved moulding young and creative minds for the future. I chose to be an Early Childhood Practitioner because I LOVE IT and I am a big believer in early learning. It also offers me an opportunity to influence generations of students by imparting to them the excitement of learning, the passion for discovery and the magical possibilities of a curious mind.

What do you love most about working as an Early Childhood Practitioner?

The children are the best part of my job. Children always see the best in any situation. My students help me every day to grow and learn new things. 

Being a teacher for sixteen years, I can honestly say that, teaching is the most rewarding job in the world. Children at this age are so innocent, they want to learn to do any and everything! I love that I have the opportunity to help them realize their true potential. I get to spend quality time with the children. As the first formal contact for learning and development, I help to lay the foundations for lifelong learning and excellence. The Bible says, “A little child shall lead”, AMEN to that! What is more rewarding than developing the minds of our future leaders?! 

What do you like least about working as an Early Childhood Practitioner?

What I like least about the profession is that there is a shortage of resources for enhancing the children’s learning that are available to the school. We, Practitioners, find ourselves spending out-of-pocket on learning materials for our classrooms. 

My interaction with parents over the years has shown me that some parents are not as involved in their children’s learning and development as they should be. They may not realise that parental involvement is key to their children’s performance and that it also influences children’s attitude and behaviour towards learning; just as Practitioners are important to children’s learning and development, so are their parents. 

What is the one thing you want people to know about the early childhood sector in Jamaica?

I want people to know that the early childhood sector in Jamaica is doing an amazing job. The standards and quality for children’s development have been significantly raised by ensuring that ECIs are certified. A certified ECI is recognized by the ECC as fulfilling the requirements of the operating standards.  

What is your hope for the children of Jamaica?

“Every child can learn, every child must learn”. I hope that all our children will be able to get the quality education and care they deserve. Early childhood impacts nation-building and we want to continue having a positive impact on our children.

To find out more about certified ECIs near you, you can visit our certified ECIs page at https://ecc.gov.jm/early-childhood-institute/certified-eci/