SEF hosts a seminar on Early Childhood Development initiatives

Speakers talk about how to effectively get children through the initial stages of their lives.

KARACHI: A seminar was organised by the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) to discuss child education and to showcase the progress made by its Early Learning Programme (ELP).

The ELP is aimed at enhancing the physical and learning environment of over 150 government schools and directly benefits over 10,000 children, teachers, parents and caregivers. Participants at the seminar focused on the challenges and achievements of the programme at the grass root level and deliberated upon how to improve the quality of learning and teaching during the early years.

SEF managing director Prof. Anita Ghulam Ali said that it was very important to focus on the children if a nation wants to progress and in our country a lot needs to be done in this regard. “Early childhood is a crucial stage in an individual’s life and the failure to invest in Early Childhood Development (ECD) can result in development delay and disability besides inhibiting the optimal development and performance of children throughout their lives.”

Mahenaz Mahmud, a Teachers’ Resource Centre adviser, said that children must be provided a positive learning environment and the teachers must listen to them to build up their self-esteem and confidence while Froebel Education Centre principal Mariam Shera said that children are born to learn and it is essential to foster their curiosity instead of stifling it. “Children who are encouraged at an early age will perform better during later years.”



Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board associate professor Dr Shahida Mohiuddin said that children should be exposed to their indigenous culture and focus should be given to the mother tongue for effective stimulation of the mind.

“Children and the poor are the most oppressed groups in Pakistan,” said Baela Raza Jamil, Idara-e-Taleem-o-Agahi (ITA) director programs. She said that ITA designed a comprehensive multi-sectoral community based programme for children affected by the 2010 floods to help alleviate the situation.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15^th, 2013.