Acting Chief Education Officer Melena Fontaine says there has been many positive strides in Early Childhood Education in Dominica.
Fontaine was speaking at an Early Childhood Development National Symposium at the Arawak House of Culture on Monday.
The event marked the official opening of a month-long of activities to observe the Early Childhood Development Month.
“In Dominica we can be proud to know that we have made major positive strides, in the strides in the field of early childhood education and development,” She said. “Within the last decade we have moved from providing access to a small handful of students to today providing a universal access to age group birth to five years.”
She stated that legislation was enacted in order for this to happen.
“We have made sure that the legislation was amended and regulations were enacted to provide the legal framework for the work to be done,” she continued. “We have made sure that an advisory body in the form of the Early Childhood Education Council exist, that all early childhood facilities are being licensed to indicate that they meet the required standards to operate. And we are also making sure that the data is being captured in our monitoring system so that our decisions are informed by data and not just opinion.”
According to Fontaine, investing in early childhood education is a must for any country that is progressive, and the month of activities is a time to reflect on what has been achieved, and where the early childhood sector is going.
Meantime, Stelline Benjamin, Rose Caprice, Marie Therese Ferrol, Bertha Henry, Martha Mc Lawrence, Barbara Vidal , Cyrilla Xavier, Avril Alexander and Janice De Jean, who have served in Early Childhood Education for over two decades have been recognized for their long standing contribution.
They received plaques from Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Marcella Powell.
The activities for Early Childhood Development Month include kite festivals, field trips, a sports day, a week focused on the family among others.
The symposium was held under the theme: Our Nation, Our Responsibility to Embrace Early Childhood Development.
Congratulations to you all Ladies especially Rose Caprice who I know have given their hearts out to our tender innocent minds. Hard work always pays off. God is your retarder. Keep on working to please and honor him. Some say that the sky is the limit, but there is a heaven above the sky. Go on reach out. You CAN get there. Whoop, whoops. Yeahhhhhhh
Sorry this was meant to read. God is your rewarded. Thanks for understanding.
Oh yes I will say it again until I get it right. GOD is your rewarder. Got it this time. Yeahhhhh
shes for woodfordhill
bravo teacher lin
Congratulations to all of you. Keep up the good work in building strong minds. My baby is clapping his little hands for each of you. It’s his way of saying thank you!