KUCHING: Sarawak, through its Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development places great emphasis on the provision of facilities, infrastructure, personnel, and supervisory support for early childhood care and education (ECCE).
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg noted that early childhood education had become the forefront in education, adding that the Sarawak government recognised the importance of quality education for all children.
“The Sarawak government is continuously looking into the professional development of Sarawak’s early childhood educators in its quest to improve the knowledge and skills of practitioners and operators.
“Furthermore, managing changes in early childhood education and care at the local level must take into account both local needs as well as national aspirations,” he said at a virtual launch of Sarawak Preschool International Convention 2021 here yesterday (Oct 2).
Abang Johari pointed out that early childhood — defined as the period from birth to eight years of age — was a time of remarkable brain growth and development, a stage at which children were highly influenced by the environment and the people surrounding them.
“ECCE involves more than preparation for primary school. It aims at the holistic development of a child’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical needs in order to build a solid and broad foundation for lifelong learning and wellbeing.
“ECCE plays an important role in nurturing and caring for children to turn them into capable and responsible future citizens,” said the chief minister.
On the inaugural Sarawak Preschool International Convention, he said this could increase the knowledge and understanding of educators on the basics of character formation among children.
He hoped participants would be able to identify the challenges faced in shaping human character, talents, interests and the potential of children during the Covid-19 pandemic through knowledge sharing with international speakers during the convention.
“With this, I hope this convention will be able to enhance the educators’ skills in cultivating and nurturing children’s spiritual, cognitive, social, physical, and emotional developments in the new norm.
“The Sarawak government hopes that this convention will equip the educators with the right skills for the holistic development of children,” he said.
During the ceremony, the chief minister also launched the ‘Sarawak Women in Early Childhood Care and Education’ coffee table book entitled ‘Sowing Seeds for the Future’.
