SIBU: Early childhood education (ECE) and early childhood intervention (ECI) are both important for child development as they are effective.
Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said the government as well as private organisations have worked very hard to establish preschools and related centres to provide children with ECE and ECI.
She said ECE involves preschools such as kindergartens and nurseries.
“ECI and ECE are the mainstays of inclusive preschool education of our children with and without special needs,” she said at the closing of ‘Sarawak Conference on Inclusive Early Childhood Education’ here yesterday.
The conference brought together many experts from around the world and throughout Malaysia to discuss inclusive early childhood education.
Fatimah also suggested that ECI centres and community-based rehabilitation centres (PDK) ought to work hand in hand with preschools and kindergartens.
“We have seen the model successfully implemented in Sibu where the Agape Centre has been working with many kindergartens,” she said.
“And we have seen successful centres like Sarawak’s Fu Yuan Kindergarten that started their intervention education more than 10 years ago. Not only do they accept children; they have ensured the children the support of their families and ECE professionals.
“They have no doubt achieved a lot in the last 10 years, and today they are here taking the lead, to ensure that what they have gained is to be shared nationwide and globally.”
Fatimah noted that running intervention education in preschool is not easy as it requires dedication, training and support from/at all levels.
She pointed out that the implementation of support and services need positive partnership among parents, various professionals, policy makers and the mass media.
She stressed that no children shall be left out; every child must be taught well in preschool so that they can attend primary school and even beyond.
