ISLAMABAD: The Government of Pakistan is setting up Early Childhood Education (ECE) centers in existing primary schools and creating 100 classrooms to improve early childhood education facilities and ensure quality education for young children, As Per Media Report.
This project aims to provide a foundation for lifelong learning by focusing on the critical early years and facilitating foundational learning and skills, said a press release on Saturday.
It aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-4 and SDG-5), ensuring that children are well-prepared for formal schooling.
At the outset, fifty urban and fifty rural areas have been chosen for the construction and refurbishment of 100 classrooms into ECE centers, equipped with suitable furniture and materials, along with the provision of trained Montessori teachers and support staff.
Consequently, the project brings about a notable enhancement in educational infrastructure.
The initiative promotes holistic development, including physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and moral growth, which helps reduce dropout rates, improve attendance, and enhance retention. The project targets enrolling 6,000 students annually, thereby improving the early childhood education enrollment ratio and ensuring gender equality by providing equal educational opportunities for boys and girls.
Economically, the project creates 300 jobs, including teaching and non-teaching positions and contributes to developing a skilled and educated workforce.
To address ECE needs, the project will establish a total of 100 ECE classrooms with the structure of kindergartens with five ECE rooms, one activity room, and a play area in 10 urban centres, and convert 50 existing classrooms into ECE centres in rural schools.
The provision includes specialised Montessori teachers (PPS-05), Montessori Teacher/Aide (PPS-04), and support staff (Ayas, PPS-01), hired through Education Service Providers (ESP) or FDE.
Learning during the early years plays a critical and formative role in acquiring concepts, developing skills and attitudes, and nurturing hidden potential, laying the foundations for lifelong learning. This period is marked by rapid physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and moral development.
Quality early childhood care and education significantly positively impact children’s future learning, careers, and adult lives as responsible citizens. Investment in Early Childhood Education (ECE) benefits individuals, the education system, and society as a whole.
ECE is crucial for developing cognitive abilities, communication skills, creativity, problem-solving, and social skills, setting the stage for enhanced learning outcomes in subsequent grades.
Children who undergo ECE prior to starting primary school demonstrate reduced dropout rates, enhanced attendance, improved retention and completion rates, and smoother transitions to higher levels of education.
