PSS puts off kindergarten registration

Commissioner of Education Rita H. Inos instructed school principals yesterday to postpone the registration for kindergarten since current resources of the Public School System will not allow to accommodate children under six years old.

“For now, what I am saying is our schools will be registering students for first grade and up,” she told principals.

Although, this standing instruction was met with opposition, Inos said this is one strategy to help schools.

Currently there are 18 certified teachers assigned in kindergarten classes and schools will badly need this pool to man the primary level for this coming school year.

Inos said schools can use these kindergarten positions to fill teaching vacancies in lower grade or help offset their deficit.

During yesterday’s meeting, principals reported that a number of their teachers will be leaving and they would need kindergarten teachers in the primary level.

“This is a strategy to help all schools. I don’t want it that one school has it and the other one doesn’t have kindergarten,” she said.

Earlier, members of the Board of Education proposed to amend Public Law 6-10 and allow PSS to close down the kindergarten. The board offered to expand the Headstart program to accommodate some of the children.

In addition to this prior advise from the Board, the Commissioner also shared with the principals the vision to maintain smaller classes in the lower level starting in Grade 1.

Inos pointed out that even if PSS started its kindergarten, not all students who were entering first grade were able to attend it and a big number started from scratch. This created a learning gap between students who went to the kindergarten.

With this vision of having smaller classes, she is optimistic that this will start the long over due reforms in schools. Researches are supporting that schools should pay attention in the lower grades, providing each class with a small group of students.

As of to date, Inos can only offer Headstart 5 for children coming from needy families.

“Otherwise, there are many kindergarten centers where parents can send their kids,” she said.

School principals are also proposing to tap homeroom mothers and other core group of parents to support a school-based kindergarten program as another venue to welcome these young kids to school.