Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Dr. Reginald Thomas believes that agriculture should be introduced in the Early Childhood Programme.
He was speaking at a National Early Childhood Development Symposium held at the Goodwill Parish Hall on Monday.
According to him, children should be taught about agriculture at an early age.
“The Ministry of Agriculture has articulated in many of these activities that we need to engage the very young in our programmes as it relates to development of agriculture and building resilience,” he said. “We would like to partner with the Ministry of Education to increase agriculture at the school level beginning with the very young.”
Thomas continued, “We will provide technical support where we can plan together…”
Meantime, he said there are concerns as it relates to the issues of hunger and childhood obesity worldwide.
Hence, he encourages the use of local and healthy foods to feed children.
Dr. Thomas revealed that statistics from the Ministry of Health shows that the prevalence of obese and overweight children between 0-9 years rose from 9 percent in 2000 and 12 percent in 2009.
“We need to take stalk on the foods we feed our children,” he remarked.
He said that the responsibility lies primarily on the parents, “but also within the school systems, the types of policies established to encourage the use of local foods.”
Dr. Thomas described the programme as timely and said it is a building block in this process of building resilience in Dominica.
“We must build resilience in both our agriculture system and in our Early Childhood programmes,” he stated.
PS in Agriculture calls for agriculture to be introduced in Early Childhood Programme. I asked about ECD because I was taken aback to these supposedly easy concept in applying agriculture with ECD. Dr, Thomas I applaud your initiative but the science of agriculture and that of Early Childhood Development applies different concepts and to be guided of its implementation. One cannot be absent of sensitivity of the child’s growth & development crucial at these ages, i:e ages, (a) Birth- 3, (b) 3- 5 and (c) 5 -7. Children in the ECD stages, I was made to understand by this ECD Expert I consulted (Whom I can share name) is a matter of Play, good parenting and recognise also that “Play is the Child’s Work”. Therefore during play children to be introduced to basics of planting plants, flowers.
I was amazed to receive this concept from the ECD expert, with long service to have educated and alerted me on this. Please government people, whenever you wish to implement a programme consult…
Consult who? the so called “experts.” I am sure that Reggie is fully aware of the capabilities of children at certain ages. Nobody is sending them into the fields. Agriculture may be the only savior for this island and introducing plants and their usefulness to children at a young age is beneficial. Developing a mutual respect for plants and animals can only benefit these children and their environment.
These are the type of ventures that build character in young Man/Woman. teach them to plant the foods needed to feed themselves . Technology changes every year while getting very expensive, the right initiative might be on the kitchen table.
Garçon where our parrots???
I am in total agreement with Dr Reginald Thomas. We should make this be part of their early education… teach the children to grow and appreciate real food instead of those rubbish fast foods like KFC, Pizza, etc. which make them obese and unhealthy.
Not every child will leave school to become a doctor, dentist, teacher because some just don’t have what it takes but they may have a choice to be a farmer and earn a living in agriculture.
I couldn’t agree more. Not only in the early years but all throughout high school. Besides the English and maths we need to teach skills that are important for our country’s development. Skills such as the hospitality (being kind and welcoming), entrepreneurship, agriculture, health and wellness etc. We need to assume that these are not being taught at home because this is what the education system is there for, to teach what we assume isn’t being taught at home. I say we revamp the HFLE programme.
The more they learn, the less knowledge they can disseminate. “Resilience”,which Dominicans knew as a powerful word,is now a hoary,overused word which will soon be meaningless to most living on Waitikubuli.
Skerrit Must Go
Skerrit Must Go
LAZY Skerrit Must Go Now
While the rest of the world is moving into Technology you want have the youth focus on agriculture. Where are the agricultural jobs? This is one of the reasons we are so behind.
But de PM say we dont need tablet and laptop to learn