As the end of the first trimester approaches, the children begin to write tests and look forward to their month-long holiday. You read that right! In Zambia, children write tests even in preschools.

Preschool classes

Not only in GECO preschool but also in other preschools in Zambia, children are divided into three levels. Baby Class - class for the youngest children. Children as young as two years old can be here, and as well as going to the toilet, they learn how to hold a crayon, color and recognize colors, and trace shapes. Children around age 3-4 are in the Middle Class and should be able to hold a pencil and learn to trace, write and recognize letters and numbers. Children should also be able to count to ten or twenty. The last stage of preschool is Reception - preparation for school. Usually, children aged 4 and 5 attend this class. They must be able to write their name, read two and three-letter words, and write all letters and numbers. They can also usually count up to one hundred. This means that a child entering first grade should be able to write, count and read short words.

Everybody doesn't speak English

Children are taught in English, although it is not their mother tongue, and many do not know English when they start preschool. Although English is the official language of Zambia, some people, especially those from rural areas or smaller towns, do not speak English well.

Children's age

The placement of children in classes usually corresponds to their age, but the main criterion is what the children know or do not know. It is also common for children in classes (in schools) to be a few years older than their classmates because they have not had the opportunity to start school according to their age. The most common reason is the poor financial situation of the parents. 

Here's a look at what the children are learning at GECO Kindergarten.

Types of schools in Zambia

Even though public schools in Zambia have been free of charge for a few years, this does not mean that everything is free or accessible. Parents must buy their children uniforms, shoes, exercise books, stationery, and a backpack. This applies to both schools and preschools. Many schools have a bus, but again, you have to pay for that, so some children walk, even an hour or an hour and a half one way, because they don't have money for it. Also, some preschools/schools offer lunches; from what I know from my own experience, they charge $25 - $50 per month for lunches.

I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think Zambia has any or a minimum number of government-run preschools. So there is room for two other types of schools/preschools: community and private.

Community schools/preschools have low monthly fees ($5 - $10) and are usually sponsored by NGOs ( often foreign NGOs or local parishes). The low cost is compensated by the high number of children in the class, which can be 50-60, but this is not always the case.

Private schools/preschools here are often run by various religious organizations (churches), both Christian and Muslim and private individuals. Private preschools usually charge between $50 and $100 monthly, but it can be several times more in international preschools.

I have this information from my experience when looking for a preschool for my son in Zambia's capital, Lusaka. In smaller towns and rural areas, those prices will be lower but probably less accessible and with a lower quality of education.

Special days in kindergarten

In my last post, I wrote about the teaching process at GECO preschool, which you can read here, but I didn't mention the special days. In the next paragraph, I will outline what they are, but mainly in the photos below.

In addition to the regular weekly program, there are usually special days during the school year. This can be a themed trip; a careers day, where the children come dressed according to their dream job; a civic day - during this day the children do not have to wear their school uniform but dress as they wish; a green day, which is an environmentally focused day; then a friendship day and at the end of the year there is usually an end of year party.

Friendship Day took place last week and was a great success. You can soak up the friendly atmosphere from the photos below.

To keep the GECO preschool running, you can support it in this collection. Many thanks to all donors.