By Felix Khanoba
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has stressed the need to ensure effective Early Childhood Care Development and Education (ECCDE) in the country.
Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Hammid Bobboyi, stated this on Monday at the opening of capacity development training of teachers and care givers of UBEC’s ECCDE’s modern centres in Kano.
The AUTHORITY reports that the event also attracted ECCDE desk officers from State Universal Education Boards (SUBEBs).
A statement signed by Head of Public Relations, UBEC, David Apeh, said Bobboyi emphasised that ECCDE’s implementation was key to nurturing a child’s educational development through early stimulation and transition into primary school.
The Executive Secretary, who was represented by his deputy (Technical), Prof. Bala Zakari, explained that the capacity building workshop was anchored on ‘Reggio Emilia’ and other child-centred approach, which is basically “Learning with play”, brain and physical development of child.
The UBEC boss also listed other attributes of the approach to include improvisation of low/no cost teaching and learning materials as well as curriculum utilization and implementation on the one-year pre-primary curriculum, so as to boost the teaching ability and to ensure support in managing contemporary challenges in the implementation of ECCDE in the UBE programme.
Bobboyi appreciated efforts of all caregivers and stakeholders involved in the process of ensuring the capacity building workshop achieve its desired outcomes.
In her own contribution, the Director, Special Programmes, UBEC, Dr. Ene Adikwu said the training was aimed at familiarizing participants with the skills and techniques on Reggio Emilia and other child-centred learning approaches.
She stressed that the success of every childhold care and education depend on the collective efforts of all stakeholders who are saddled with the responsibility of impacting knowledge on children through early stimulation, care and language skill among others.
She called on the participants as well as SUBEBs to ensure what was taught in the workshop was put into use effectively.
The AUTHORITY recalls that UBEC had so far constructed and equipped 64 direct intervention model learning centres across the country.
