THE Early Childhood Commission (ECC) said it is willing to work with early childhood institutions (ECI) which have inspection scores below 50 per cent instead of requesting a halt to their operations.

The ECC’s Assessment Report of Early Childhood Institutions March 2022, launched on Wednesday, showed that 1,056 of 2,373 schools were operating below 50 per cent.

Asked at the launch why those schools are still in operation, executive director at ECC Karlene DeGrasse-Deslandes pointed to allowing children the opportunity to learn and standards that need improvement.

“We actually don’t want our children out and about doing anything anywhere. The second reason is that it depends on what makes up that 44 per cent. If you look at each area, we have 12 areas and we have 400 plus performance criteria. We look at what are the standards that present immediate danger to our children and staff,” said DeGrasse-Deslandes.

All ECIs are assessed based on 12 standards which incorporate their overall performance.

Those 12 standards include staffing, developmental/educational programmes, interactions and relationships with children, and the physical environment.

“There should be no immediate danger to our children and staff, which speaks to standard six, health, and standard five, indoor and outdoor equipment and supplies. If for us the health and safety standards are being taken care of, then we opt to work with a school, school board, and community — work with all the persons involved to ensure that the standards are raised,” she added.

“We don’t want our children unattended and at home by themselves in the community, so it is better to have them in a space that they are protected. While the health and safety standards are up, we can work with them,” she added.

In the meantime, DeGrasse-Deslandes said the committee hosts weekly curriculum and policy meetings with schools to gain 100 per cent inspection scores.