Yesterday, the government agencies which look after the wellbeing of families and children, and their NGO partners held an extended meeting at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel. They were there to discuss possible ways in which Early Childhood Education can be enhanced.
For a number of years now, Early Childhood Development has been a key focus of the Ministry of Education, but the Briceno Government and the NGOs believe that much more can and needs to be done. That's why they met to discuss the topic under the theme, "Reimagining Early Childhood Development: Investment in Early Years".
The meeting was held virtually via Zoom, and in-person, and here's a small excerpt of the forum:
Dr. Louis Zabaneh - Minister of State, Education, Culture, Science & Technology
"The 1998-2008 government, as you remember, Hon. Dolores, you were in that group - Minister Fonseca was the Minister of Education at the, and he was one of the pioneers who championed early-childhood education, and we give credit to Minister Faber, who came afterward, 2008 to 2020, and continued the support for Early-Childhood Education. I think we could all agree that much more needs to be done, but that this has been on the radar, and certainly, I think it's high time now for even more commitment to be made, and we can give you the assurance that on our end, this is a topic that we all can discuss."
"We heard about the inter-sectorial commitment that is necessary, and I think that requires a new way of thinking about development. I must say that we believe that my colleagues have demonstrated that new way of thinking."
Hon. Michel Chebat - Minister of Health and Wellness
"It is clear to me that it will take all of us working together to make sure every child can fulfill their potential: socially, physically, emotionally, and cognitively."
As part of yesterday's discussion, key government ministers formally signed what is being called the San Ignacio Declaration, which outlines integrated priority actions for children between the ages of only a few months to 8 years.
