MKI: Redefining quality early childhood education in Sri Lanka
MerlionKids International (MKI) has preschool centres in Singapore and China, which follow the International Childhood Education Curriculum framework and renowned Singapore Kindergarten Curriculum framework, supported by the play and inquiry-based (Inquire-Think-Learn) Multiple-Intelligence Integrated approach to learning. Quality Early Childhood Education sets a strong foundation for lifelong learning. Offering a holistic education for children, MerlionKids International proudly announced the launch of its preschool facility in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Chief Minister of the Western Province IsuraDevapriya, Minister of Labour and Trade Unions, John Seneviratne and Honorary Consul -General of the Republic of Singapore, Jayantha Dharmadasa and other dignitaries participated and celebrated the official grand opening.
Commenting on the launch, Derrick Tan, Chairman of MerlionKids Education Group said, “A child’s access to a quality Early Childhood Education Program lays the foundation to all that is to come. Early Childhood Education plays a critical role during this important development period. MerlionKids’ strong curriculum framework, will bring a revolutionary approach to quality education and care, redefining standards for Early Childhood Education in Sri Lanka”.
“We are also confident MerlionKids will exceed the expectations of parents, who want excellent education for their young children in conducive indoor/outdoor learning environments”. Derrick added.
Moreover, Chief Minister of the Western Province IsuraDevapriya, highlighted the significance of Early Childhood Education as the foundation for future success of a child and the progress of society. He also mentioned that MerlionKids is the first stand-alone preschool in Sri Lanka with a true international collaboration.
MerlionKids’s internationally recognised teaching methods foster a life-long love of learning. Through intentional teaching practices, purposefully designed learning environments and enriched activities, teachers ensure children have joyful, appropriate and meaningful learning experiences in Language and Literacy, Numeracy, Aesthetic and Creative Expression, Motor skills Development, Social and Emotional Development and Discovery of the World. In order to develop self-esteem and social-competence children are encouraged to help themselves, take initiative and become increasingly independent.
Making her remarks at the opening ceremony, Ms Sha Ozman, Principal of MerlionKids Singapore, outlined her philosophy for preschool education as “the need to prepare children for the real world, by equipping them with the skills to creatively problem solve, show initiative and work effectively in a team”. The role of the teacher is to create an environment that teaches the children to be curious, think independently and process massive amounts of information available to us in today’s digital world.
At MerlionKids, children are supported to become keen and independent learners. They are engaged in high quality dialogues that offer opportunity for them to learn through questioning and reasoning. As a result, the children learn to be competent in solving problems, making decisions and resolving conflicts. Opportunities to work on tasks in small groups following their own ideas and interest are provided to increase involvement in their own learning. These learning experiences provide a platform for them to make connections about the world and maximize their potential in handling and overcoming challenges in the future.
MerlionKids follows stringent standards required by Singapore’s Early Childhood Development Agency, all the teachers are highly qualified and undergo intensive training conducted by headquarters in Singapore. They possess sound knowledge, understanding of curriculum and children’s development milestones and are passionate in providing a holistic preschool education that supports children based on their individual strengths and interests. MerlionKidshas developed their own lesson plans and activities which are fun and experiential that are developmentally appropriate.
“We are delighted to see the launch of MerlionKids International in Sri Lanka. The promise of a quality Singapore Education Framework, international curriculum that appreciates exploratory, play, inquiry and experiential learning processes; will create an environment for children to thrive”. Derrick concluded.
