Universal Access to Early Childhood Education gets boost

Over EC$58,000 has been donated to the Ministry of Education to assist in Universal Access to early Childhood Education in Dominica.

The Ministry of Education is now starting to provide universal access to Early Childhood Education, one year after it was introduced in an attempt to get students learning from an early age.

The donations were made at a National Symposium on Early Childhood Development held at the Arawak House of Culture on Wednesday. At the function, Child Fund Caribbean donated $50,000 and Jays Ltd presented activity blocks valued at $8,000.

Chief Education Officer, Stephenson Hycainth, speaking during the event, said the move towards Universal Access is a bold and timely one pointing out that the initiative requires teacher’s personal interest.

“Pre-Childhood education requires personal interests in teachers and love for children and whatever they do there will be excellent,” he said.

Meantime Education Minister, Petter Saint Jean, said the Ministry, through its Universal Early Childhood Education programme, aims to create a module that other countries may want to emulate.

Saint Jean said work has already begun in areas around the island in improving early childhood education centers and in 2013, more work will be done in areas such as Marigot and Pichelin.

Also at the ceremony, seven people were awarded for their long service in Early Childhood Education in Dominica. They are Cilma Agnes Cuffy, Norma Cyril, Denis Defoe, Doreen Francis, Dian Graham, Francis Joseph and Jennifer Lee.

The Early Childhood Development National Symposium was held under the theme ‘Partnering for further Progress in Early Childhood Development.’