The strategic point of the Inclusive Early Childhood Care Education is for a ‘read and write’ society.
Program Coordinator for the Cheshire Inclusive Education Resource Centre, Paulus Pasbon, says the program targets children because that’s the start of the learning stage.
Speaking to EMTV News in Alotau, Pasbon said that Milne Bay province concluded this pilot program which is the Inclusive Early Childhood Care Education Training Workshop.
Targeted participants were mainly elementary teachers and district education office trainers.
“After the training, they are expected to extend the training to other districts,” he said,
Education is the key to development, which is a component of the Inclusive Early Childhood Care Education, aimed to create a learning environment beginning with children.
“Year three, four and five is the strategic point where we want learning to take place. If we are to make our society inclusive, our society inclusive, we must start to develop the child at the early age,” he said.
The week-long workshop ended on a high note with participants equipped with the knowledge and skills to be specialists in inclusive education.
Sagarai Field Worker, Tracey Mwadayana, told EMTV News that one fundamental was the inclusion of persons with special needs included in the main stream and early childhood care.
“We learnt the daily routines, how to program the lessons, and how to care for them as parents, teachers and field workers,” she said.
The Inclusive Early Childhood Care Education Training Workshop is supported by UNICEF and Cheshire Disability Services.
The pilot projects are in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Central province, National Capital District and now Milne Bay province.
