The Hiring and Development of Non-ECE Preschool Teachers: Policies, Practices, and Experiences of Selected Private Preschools

Each child deserves to be given quality education. It is during the first eight years that children develop vital skills in the physical, cognitive, affective, and behavioral domains. Significant adults, which include the parents and the teachers, play an important role in assuring that children achieve their fullest potentials. It is in the home that children should receive the utmost love and care. On the other hand, child-care centers such as preschools should be equipped with the necessary and appropriate resources, including human resources, to ensure the holistic growth and development of young children. The preschool teacher, as one of the most important resources in early childhood education (ECE), is a major contributing factor for developing skills, attitudes, values, and habits in children. She stands as a guide who supports children in their learning experiences. However, due to some circumstances and challenges that arise in the organization and operation of preschools, administrators are obliged to recruit, hire, and deploy non-ECE teachers. The study examines and documents the experiences of non-ECE preschool teachers. Based on the existing hiring policies and practices of selected private preschools (PPS) in Metro Manila, the study also looks into the efforts that school owners, principals, and administrators put into the professional development that they provide for non-ECE teachers to address their needs. Ultimately, the study examines the implications of recruiting, hiring, and deploying of non-ECE teachers in the field preschools.