The playful path to learning

‘Building the Base: Preschool Curriculum for Teachers and Parents’ by Celsa Pinto presents a play-based approach to early education, focusing on natural development rather than formal academics

RAMANDEEP KAUR 

A historian, scholar and former director of education, Celsa Pinto, is the author of several books on Indo-Portuguese history. Her first education book released recently aims to help children learn at their own pace, preparing them for the next step into formal schooling.

 

Excerpts from the interview:

What motivated you to write this book?

This book has been in the making for 25 years. The challenges I saw back then still exist today. As a former director of education, I am concerned about our education system. Despite nearly 100% literacy, we’ve overlooked quality. While we focus on basic measures like literacy rates and infrastructure, we fail to prepare students for life. Education should be about more than exams; it should nurture skills, knowledge, and positive attitudes, starting in pre-primary education.

My concerns began when I worked as deputy director of the Education Department, Government of Goa in 1994. Pre-primary education was poorly managed, with untrained teachers and outdated methods. I’ve always believed that learning should happen naturally, through play, with both teachers and parents playing a key role.

During my career, I worked on improving pre-primary education, including organising a conference in 1997 and introducing a scheme on Pre-Primary Education. And seeing that the issues remain unresolved, I decided to compile and update my work into this book.

 

How does the book help teachers and parents with academic learning and play for young children?

The book talks about three important areas. The first is psychomotor, which helps children develop motor skills, physical abilities, and coordination. The second is affective, which encourages creativity, art, and emotional growth. The third is cognitive, which covers language development, early reading and writing, and basic concepts like shapes, colours, and numbers. These areas form the foundation for activities suitable for children aged three to six.

The book also highlights the value of free play, environmental awareness, real-life experiences and the world beyond the school. For example, meeting a postman in person after learning about them in class makes the lesson more real. Such experiences help children build life skills and confidence, making it easier for them to face challenges as they grow.

 

What are the long-term benefits of using play-based learning in the curriculum?

This method is the foundation for formal education. At this stage, learning is informal, but sometimes it’s treated as if it were formal, with things like homework, books, exams, and reports. However, this is not the right age for formal learning.

The goal of the play-based method is to get children ready for the next stage of their education. It helps them build a strong base for their school journey, making it easier for them to move on to formal learning.

 

What steps can policymakers take to reduce rote learning in schools, including preschools?

Many assignments in schools are merely formalities and don’t help students learn. Assignments should focus on research and creative thinking.

Although research is not typically focused in schools, small research tasks can be valuable. For example, let each student explore a topic that interests them, rather than assigning the same task to everyone. The practice of memorising notes to pass exams should be replaced. Teachers should explain concepts in ways that help all students understand, whether they struggle with learning or have a natural talent for it.

Classroom lessons should cover all the necessary material so that students don’t need extra help from tutors or parents. Parents should not take over the teacher’s role, and students should be encouraged to express their understanding in their own words, rather than just copying from notes.

While some memorisation, such as learning laws or principles, is important, students should be encouraged to understand and explain concepts in their own words.

 

What advice would you give to teachers starting out in early education?

Firstly, teachers in early childhood education, whether in private or government institutions, should get proper training. This training should be included in the DIET institutes’ courses to make sure teachers are well-prepared.

The book cites numerous activities for three different categories and therefore it could supplement their training with reference reading.

Parents can also use this book. If you decide to teach your child at home instead of sending them to preschool, it will be a helpful resource. You don’t always need to send your child to preschool, especially if you have enough space at home, like a good outdoor area, to help them learn.

 

What’s next?

My next book, which I’ve been working on since the COVID-19 pandemic, is about merchant capitalism in colonial Goa. It looks at how the Saraswat Brahmins rose to prominence.

 

The shift in teaching

According to Celsa Pinto, teaching in secondary schools has changed a lot with the focus now mainly on questions and answers. “Lessons that used to take six or seven periods are now rushed through in one or two. Teachers are mostly concerned with finishing the syllabus, following textbooks, and preparing students for exams, leaving little time for other teaching methods,” she says. This, she states, leaves little space for creativity or interaction in the classroom.

“When things go wrong, the education department is often blamed, but can they really check every school? The real responsibility lies with the schools themselves. What are headmasters, principals, and school management doing to improve the situation? How often are they observing lessons to make sure the teaching quality is good?” she asks.

Pinto adds that when she started teaching in 1972, she was fortunate to work under a headmaster who cared about teacher preparation. “Teachers had to keep a notebook where they wrote the lesson topic, key points, how they would check students’ understanding and the homework. They had to place the book on his desk every morning, and he would observe a few lessons each week without telling anyone in advance,” she recalls. This system, she says, kept teachers prepared and accountable. “While good teachers don’t always need these checks, only about 20% of teachers are truly dedicated. The rest need monitoring to do their best work,” she believes.