Early learning framework and curriculum in the making |03 September 2014

A five-day workshop is under way to develop an early learning framework and early childhood curriculum.

The workshop was launched on Monday at the Seychelles Institute of Teacher Education (Site) in the presence of the Minister for Education Macsuzy Mondon.

Two consultants – Margaret Ervine and Dr Hasina Ebrahim – are the main facilitators of this workshop which has brought together some 50 people with the aim of producing two documents: an Early Learning Framework and an Early Childhood Curriculum in order to guide all those involved in educating this age group.

The Early Learning Framework for 0-3 years would serve as a guide to support the early childhood programmes and it will also support early childhood educators and other early learning practioners as they work in early childhood settings.

The Early Childhood Curriculum for 3+ to 7+ will serve as a source document to further develop teaching and learning programmes as well as resources for that age group.

This workshop is a follow-up to a study conducted nationally in 2013 on child minding services by the Institute of Early Childhood Development (IECD). One of the recommendations of the survey was the development of an Early Learning Framework from 0-3 years based on international best practice addressing local context and challenges.

The Ministry of Education has been mandated as the lead ministry to implement this recommendation.  

This week’s workshop has brought together the different significant partners who are teachers, education officers, day care operators, representatives from the Department of Social Affairs, representatives from the Ministry of Health and the IECD to develop the two documents.

Speaking at the official opening of the workshop, education principal secretary.
 
Merida Delcy urged the delegates to “selflessly contribute” towards the development and production of those two “important documents”.

“An important consideration in the development of such documents is the impact it will have in influencing the children and the future of Seychelles. It is our expectation that the finalised Early Learning Framework and Early Childhood Curriculum serve to build up confidence, social skills and equip our children with necessary knowledge, skills and disposition for lifelong learning,” she said.

Elva Gedeon, senior curriculum development officer at the Centre for Curriculum Assessment and Teacher Support, said she hopes that from the deliberations with the caregivers, the teachers and all those involved in the education of this age group, we will have a framework that will guide everybody implementing care”.

Early childhood is defined as a period from birth to 7 years. A time of remarkable brain growth, these years lay the foundation for subsequent learning and development. The world leading organisation for education, Unesco, advocates for early childhood care and education programmes that attend to health, nutrition, security and learning and which provide for children’s holistic development.