Martin Wickremasinghe [1890-1976] was ahead of his time in recognising the importance of children’s literature and its positive impact on their psychosocial and intellectual development.
He argued a case for establishing a tradition of children’s literature anchored in our heritage, and in keeping with the degree of maturity of the child; and that the work be presented in a simple and pleasurable form mixed with moral instruction in right measure. He said that a nation without children’s literature rooted in its heritage may face intellectual and moral decline. He asserted that children’s books should only be written by those who understood the developing mind.
In his publication, ‘Apey Lama Sahithyaya’ [Our Children’s Literature], Martin Wickremasinghe acknowledges past contributions to our children’s literature by prominent writers. Piyadasa Sirisena, Munidasa Cumaratunga, G. H. Perera and others transformed folk tales into prose and poetry for children. V. D. de Lanerolle was a pioneer in writing children’s stories for supplementary reading, naming his series, ‘Vinoda Katha’ [Pleasurable Stories].
Edwin Ranawaka translated children’s stories, from English to Sinhala, to suit the local readership. Martin Wickremasinghe’s own Madol Duwa, and G. B. Senanayake’s Ranarala and Surangana Katha were significant contributions to our children’s literature. Munidasa Cumaratunga took an innovative approach in producing ‘Hath Pana’ [Seven Lives], ‘Heen Seraya’ {Slow Pace], ‘Magul Kema’ [Wedding Feast] and ‘Haawage Waga’ [The Hare’s Tale] which gained immense popularity.
Martin Wickremasinghe said that we have been slow in developing a children’s literature of our own, although such a literary genre has been established in the West, for example, the Aesop’s Fables and the Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Anderson.
Aesop’s Fables, thought to have been narrated by a slave who lived in ancient Greece [whose identity remains obscure in history], have survived the test of time as a conveyor of values and virtues for children to reflect on, and to generate a conversation facilitated by their teacher. The allegorical tales, much admired by children [and adults], are aimed at both entertaining and imparting moral wisdom with the use of animal characters having human attributes [Anthropomorphism] and their social interactions.
The brief and lucidly told tales – 200 or more –laden with worldly wisdom, have the potential to generate a literate population, when introduced during early childhood. A few of popular fables with their core messages are: ‘The Hare and the Tortoise’ [Slow and steady wins the race]; ‘The Lion and the Mouse’ [No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted]; ‘The Cock and the Jewel’ [The value of an object lies in the eyes of the beholder].
The fairy [fantasy] tales of Hans Christian Andersen [1805-1875] continues to feed the imagination of growing-up children through his portrayal of unique and unforgettable characters – witches, beasts and fairies – with features of human life. The tales of the Danish master story-teller, translated into many languages, have gained universal appeal among children as he weaves his vastly entertaining stories such as Thumbelina, The Tin Soldier, and
The Emperor’s New Clothes based on fantasies with a lesson to convey. In addition to entertainment and instruction, his tales portray universal human conditions such as joy, sorrow, fear, pride, abandonment and resoluteness and allow children to recognise their own feeling states, which the psychoanalysts believe is therapeutic.
This shows that the East and the West can meet on the ground of universal values, exemplified by the arts, and that human reason – the capacity of humans to think, understand and form judgement – is the true guide in life.
In sum, although reading, writing and mathematics in early childhood education are considered the core academic literacies on which other learning rests, and on which success in life depends, current research indicates that arts education through the development of certain habits of the mind could enhance academic achievement. It is thought that high arts involvement in children tends to augment their cognitive functions [eg. attention and concentration], thinking and imaginative skills, organisational skills, reflection and evaluation, which could be ‘transferred’ to other domains of the school curriculum, including science.
This is in addition to the role the arts could play in enhancing interpersonal skill and emotional well-being, in conveying moral instruction, and in the exercise of empathy. As such, one could argue a case for a well-rounded system of education incorporating the arts to be introduced during early childhood.
Qualities of educators
The above ideal could only be achieved through greater investment in training competent teachers in early childhood education. What ought to be the desirable qualities of an early childhood educator? The teacher should a] have a good understanding of childhood development – physical, psychological and intellectual – and have the capacity to appreciate individual differences; b] possess ‘age-related’ conversational skills with the children – to listen and to allow free expression, with the aim of encouraging self-exploration of their work; c] have the ability to enhance children’s self-esteem while being able to set limits when necessary, within a framework of caring; d] understand the need to liaise with the parents; and, most of all, e] have a passion for educating children.
As reported in the media, it was heartening to note that the Government has appointed a committee to develop a national policy on early childhood education as part of an overall plan on educational reform. It is expected that the committee will address a range of issues in planning of services: the inequity in access to early childhood education; integration of early childhood education with the main stream educational facilities; quality assurance and monitoring; and most importantly, greater investment in training of competent instructors in early childhood education, and creating opportunities for the teachers to be engaged in continuing education and peer review. It is hoped that the committee will be able to create a framework for laying the groundwork for restructuring the education system – a worthy cause in nation building.
The writer is a retired Consultant Psychiatrist with a background of training in Adult General Psychiatry with accredited training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, in the UK. He is an alumnus of Thurstan College, Colombo, and the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya. Resident in Perth, Western Australia, he is a former Examiner to The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.
