Building wealth of nation

Since the first World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education hosted in Moscow, Russia, in 2010, the nations of the world have been deliberate in their discussion on taking ECCE to scale and harnessing the promise of investing in the provision of quality early childhood education. Indeed, in recognition of the potential of ECCE to make a significant difference, the conference was dubbed “Building the Wealth of Nations.” It is well beyond time that here in Trinidad and Tobago we become more aware of the value of ECCE, the workers in the sector, and what we need to do to ensure that we give our young citizens the best start in life.

The remedies that we attempt to administer during the later years of schooling (read this as primary and secondary) can be reduced or eliminated if we recognise high-quality early childhood education as an effective early intervention strategy and the medium for building a strong foundation for later learning and development.

According to the Results for Education Fund, it is during the important window of opportunity from birth to the first day of primary school that the foundation is set for all future growth and learning.

Given that this is the case, one can only reason that the early education of our young citizens under the age of five cannot be left to chance, or even be developed in a haphazard manner. No! We need to be purposeful and intentional in our approach — intentionality and purposefulness being two recognised pillars of high-quality early childhood education.

The need to be deliberate is further emphasised when we understand that certain types of brain development and neurological connections are gained or lost forever in the earliest years.

Moreover, we also need to understand that when we fail to adopt a systemic approach to what we are doing in the early childhood sector and ensure that there are adequate measures, then as children grow into adults, making up for lost ground becomes more costly and less effective.

Moving forward, therefore, we need to begin with certain assumptions: * ECCE is the right of all children.

As one of the many countries that have ratified the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, we have a legal obligation.

* The power of ECCE is transformative and it has a critical role as a basis for development.

Within this framework, government, policymakers, researchers and a range of national institutions need to reorient national systems and programmes to take into account the early childhood years as a human right and an integral part of development.

What is needed? * The strengthening of policy frameworks supportive of the provision of high-quality ECCE services.

* A national regulatory framework.

* The implementation of strong monitoring mechanisms.

* Building human and technical capacity to deliver the service at the levels that are required.

These are the basics.

Bottom line, we can no longer ignore the ECCE sector; the current provisions are inadequate. It is time for us to take a definitive stance and make the necessary systemic changes needed to bring it within the formal education sector.

We can do no less. Our young citizens deserve no less and our early childhood teachers who have been carrying the sector for years deserve no less.