Workshop on increasing coverage of Early Childhood Care and Development activities held

The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement held a workshop on raising the coverage of early childhood care and development activities through a virtual system yesterday morning in Nay Pyi Taw.
The workshop was attended by Union Minister Dr Thet Thet Khine, Directors-General, Deputy Directors-General, Social Welfare Officers and officials from the regions/states and Nay Pyi Taw Council.
The Union Minister said the ministry is developing and implementing policies and strategies needed by social groups for all ages to provide social services in line with the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan- MSDP), adding the importance of the early childhood care and development activity.
She added the need to cooperate with the Early Childhood Development and Technology Working Group and the private sector to reopen pre-schools that have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to increase the coverage of pre-primary education. The Union Minister continued quality pre-primary education is also as important as the coverage. She called for discussion to focus on providing pre-primary education to children in special conditions. She added that the workshop is vital for the country’s future generations to accelerate the work of early childhood care and development. It is an essential investment for future growth.
The Director-General of the Department of Social Welfare said increasing pre-primary attendance rates requires coordination, joint efforts and cooperation between policymakers and implementers. Before the children go to the Basic Education schools of the Ministry of Education, the Social Welfare Department have to carry out training for them. He urged to focus the discussion on improving the quality of pre-schools, increasing pre-school attendance coverage, and strengthening interconnection between government organizations and local/foreign non-governmental organizations and private sector.
The attendees discussed the development of pre-primary education to increase pre-primary school attendance and the budget of ECCD, and collaboration and inclusive ECCD. — MNA