Lighting up the torch | Career

You may have the most beautiful house, but if the foundation is weak, cracks would appear, the architecture will be unstable or even collapse. Early childhood education is the initiation to a child's step into formal education, and a good pre-school teacher is fundamental for laying a stable groundwork. "The period between zero to seven years old is the most important part of a child's formative years. It is the time when value systems and special skill sets are developed, after which these are more or less fixed," says Reann Binnenmars, the head of training department of the Early Childhood Education Centre (ECEC).

What is it about?
The job involves taking care of kindergarten or nursery classes with children aged between two to six. While the pedagogical approach of imparting knowledge through drama, songs, art and dance is catching on fast in pre-schools, being a pre-school teacher is no child's play. First and foremost, one has to love children. "You have to give the children constant attention, feed and change them, ," says Jeena Rana, the principle of International Play Group and Pre-School (IPPS),"It's both the work of a mother and teacher." "Children have boundless energy and curiosity," says teacher Damayanti Bhattarai who has been in this career for 20 years, "after a while you can't help but feel young yourself."

What it takes?

Loving children also means having lots of patience and knowing how to discipline them well without hurting their feelings. But the process of imparting knowledge doesn't just stop with educators; teachers themselves say there is much to learn from students. "You have a chance to experiment and learn mothering skills to apply on your children at home," says trainee teacher Isa Jha, a mother of one. "Every child is different from the next," says teacher Poonam Rai, "you have to grasp their psychology and understand them well." "It may seem like an easy job but we only have five hours of daily contact with children to help them learn and grow. Time is short and we have to be on our toes all the time," says Rana.

Besides being good with children, pre-school teachers are also answerable to the parents. Managing parents' expectations can be a major challenge, especially with rising demands about education quality. "Most parents love alphabets," says teacher trainer Pitambar Neupane, "they want to see good grades from their children and may find teaching methods that promote learning through play too unpractical." The school-parent partnership is also important in ensuring that good habits in children are followed up. Hence, pre-school teachers have to be able to communicate well to parents about their child's performance in school.

Having credentials such as university degree and fluency in English, or talents like singing and dancing will also be a bonus. But principals say that these aren't the sole deciding factor. "Above all, one must have an outgoing personality, Even if you can't sing and dance, you must not be afraid of letting go and making a fool of yourself in front of students," says Rana, "But, of course, classroom management comes in - you must know where to draw the line." Teachers must also be conscious of their personal conduct. "You're a working example of what children want to be in life," says Neupane.

How much does it pay?
The concept of early childhood education in Nepal is new and awareness among parents about its importance is just picking up. There are currently two main pre-school teachers training centres in Kathmandu, ECEC and Nepal Montessori Training Centre offering theory and practical courses for both new and experienced teachers. For the first time in Nepal, a one-year accredited Pre-school Teacher training course at bachelors level would also be available at Kathmandu University, focusing on areas such as child development and creating a learning environment. The salary scale ranges from Rs 1,800 - 7,000 for pre-school teachers in the government sector and Rs 8,000 - 10,000 for teaching coordinators in private institutes. But at the end of the day most teachers feel that the best pay-off is the sense of satisfaction of seeing how their students have improved and progressed. "It's not just about academic performance. When parents come to you with feedback about how their children have grown emotionally, you'll feel a great sense of achievement," says Rana.