ECD education vital in poverty eradication—Minister
Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Patricia Kaliati, says early childhood development education (ECD) is a long-term initiative for poverty eradication in the country.
Kaliati said this on Saturday in Matache Village, Traditional Authority Mposa in Machinga during the launch of this year’s National Campaign Week of Early Childhood Development and the launch of Timverane community-based child care centres (CBCC) in the district.
About K16 million has been ploughed into the project which World Vision International (WVI) hoped would accelerate the country’s educational development.
Kaliati said government prioritizes ECD education because it is a catalyst for national development since it prepares children before they start primary education.
“It still remains Malawi government’s plan to see that every child should attend pre-school education before starting primary education. Pre-school provides a foundation for learning both socially and academically.
“Pre-schools are important in helping a child gain some basic knowledge and pick up information that would be useful once they start elementary school.
“Studies show that pre-schools aid a child’s development and students who have attended pre-schools have a higher graduation rate than those who have not attended pre-school,” said Kaliati.
She further urged all stakeholders to help promote all forms of education from pre-school to graduate school because all of them were important and, therefore, needed to be coordinated.
The minister commended WVI for complementing government’s efforts in ensuring that early childhood education is being accessed by all children in the country.
World Vision Malawi Deputy Country Director, Fordson Kafweku, said his organisation will continue responding to government’s different strategies in education, health and other sectors.
Kafweku said Malawi has proved to be a model of pre-school education as evidenced by government’s plans to make it a priority.
“ECD education is crucial for every country and that is why currently World Vision has constructed 623 CBCCs across the country.
“World Vision shall continue to make Malawi a better place for children education by meeting all requirements needed to fulfill government agenda,” he said.
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