“Language is not taught, but caught by a child,” said David Gabriel, the co-founder of the Julia Gabriel Centre for Learning (JGCL), a Singapore based early child learning centre. JGCL launched the “first of its kind” early child learning centre in a mall on July 5. The idea of using malls as a space to open play schools, free of suffocating classrooms, pollution and parking hassles, has been well received by the parents.
JGCL was started in India eight years ago, despite frequent change of locations and other obstacles, it has managed to create a niche. The centre in Panchsheel already has 500 children and the waiting list is growing. JGCL has also tie ups with schools in the city like Amity, Bluebells and Delhi Public School,R. K. Puram.
“It all started because we had two children at home and we could see that their creative needs were not being met by the conventional and formal training. So Julia and I got interested in children's education. We started teaching them along with two other children, at home,” said David Gabriel. What began literally as a “cottage industry” in 1990 has seven centres across the world now; in Philippines, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Singapore.
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Programmes offered by JGCL, especially ‘Eduplay' for children in the age group of six months to three years and ‘Edudrama', for older students, are popular. Teachers use music, speech, drama and games to provide quality education to children.
There is no place for rote learning. Independent interpretations of stories, plays and poetry, are encouraged; cultivating articulate and lateral thinking.
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The programme also welcomes parents into the classrooms instead of keeping them segregated from their children's educational space. “This allows for more interaction and a better understanding of their children,” said Meenakshi Chibba, Director, JGCL India.
The centre attempts to inculcate independence and confidence in every child, preparing them for the “big schools”. The concept of exams has been done away with, putting in place continuous assessment and portfolios for each child. An examiner from the Trinity Guildhall London makes routine visits to moderate the children's progress and upgrade them to the next class.
Through trial and error, JGCL has formulated a method that encourages overall development of children. Insisting on quality , they don't look for franchisee but partners, joining hands with people who have a stake in the educational system, mainly parents.
After a careful and long drawn study of the Indian educational system and its needs, the JGCL intends to evolve and morph itself to suit these needs. The Trinity Guildhall in London prepares the syllabus for JGCL and has a moderating system in place especially to suit the Asian students.
In response to a question, Mrs. Chibba said that Indian parents are not resistant but curious. Once familiar with the JGCL and its methods and motives, they have received it with eager enthusiasm With two centres already in place at Panchsheel and DLF Place Mall, the organisation intends to open centres in Noida, Gurgaon and in other metropolises in the country.
“It will all depend on the demand and the manpower. Our main concern is finding the right teachers. We aren't looking for people with B.Ed degrees. We want people who love children and have a passion for this kind of work” said David Gabriel.