Report - Bernard van Leer Foundation

3.6 Links Between Community Pre-schools, Health Services & Primary Schools are minimal.Community Pre-schoolsCHALLENGESPrimary SchoolsThere are currently no planned links between CommunityPre-Schools, Clinics, Schools, & Other Social ServicesFor example - Only one community pre-school visitedindicated that the clinic nurse visits the center, whilst theclinics that they do not have data on young childrenbecause they do not attend clinics regularly, mostly dueto distancesPrimary School have no established links with° the health services – so if children fall sick atschool they have to pay TSh1,000 to go to thenearest clinic;° community pre-schoolsOPPORTUNITIESThe TBAs involved in some of the community pre-school programmes provide a key link° for developing a system for monitoring children’s health & nutrition through Community Pre-school Centres,in liaison with health care providers° for encouraging health care providers & mobile clinics to link up with community pre-schools on a regular basisLessons learned from other Districts where schools have agreements with clinics that when children fall sick atschool they can access clinic services free of charge, provide an opportunity for Monduli District to make similararrangements.Communities, teachers & officials’ identification of the need to link informal & formal care & education systemsfor the strengthening of both, is a key opportunity for working together to ensure pastor alist children’s readinessschool, and school’s readiness for young pastorlist children .‘… (we need) to start discussing how can we best teach our children. We will need to start with ourselves first , and thenwork on the school’s readiness for children.’Head Teacher‘Culture is an important foundation, forall human beings.’ Female Elder‘Children’s confidence is built withintheir culture, without it they are lostin school. Culture provides thefoundation for formal education.’Maasai Teacher‘By developing teaching & learningresources based on Maasai culture,then Maasai children will be proud ofwho they are and proud to be learningKiswahili at the same timeMaasai Teacher‘If you have formal education but noculture, you are like half a person.’Male Elder35