Vast recommendations for SADC states potentially enhancing Early Childhood Development, ECD, emerged at a Zimbabwe Network on Early Childhood Development Actors, ZINECDA, coordinated workshop for SADC parliamentarians and ECD CSO’S in Harare today.
The workshop which is part of a ZINECDA coordinated research on the necessary potential budgetary, policy and legislative adjustments by SADC nations for better ECD curriculum, financing and technicalities was attended by parliamentarians from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Kingdom of Eswathini, Zambia, Mozambique among other SADC country’s.
The workshop emphasised the need for budgetary adjustments that could see improvement in the ECD.
“There is need for SADC States to categorically place ECD as part of the budget process through allocating it a quota of the total education sector budget. Furthermore there is need for schools to prioritise ECD in all processes of their budget.. The Project Consultant Juliana Seleti said.
The workshop highlighted the need for member states to ratify and comply to regional and international treaties that sought to further the development of ECD.
“SADC country’s are signatories to vast regional and international treaties that seek enhancement of children in general and ECD in particular. These need to be obliged to while we take up the important step in adjusting national policies and legislation to suit the challenges and development potential of ECD.” ZINECDA National Coordinator Naison Bhunu said.
The workshop also called upon for SADC States to embrace the globally acclaimed call for considering ECD during prenatal periods and the initial 1000 day cycle from conception.
“ We have to explore the holistic issues related to ECD and move away from the orthodox ideas that ECD is not of important but rather further enhance the scientifically proven facts that ECD is a prenatal issue and the first 1000 days are of ECD importance and develop systems that guarantee ECD.” World Bank Consultant Tapfuma Jongwe said.
Calls were made for CSO’S and the media to take up issues of ECD as priority in their programs and reportage.
“Government’s solitary efforts will never be enough to offset the demands to enhance ECD. There is need for families, communities, religious fraternities, CSOs and the media to put central issues related to ECD.”
Zimbabwe’s Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary education Hon Torerai Moyo said.
ECD has been adopted as a major sector within education as Zimbabwe has inculcated it into its formal education sector with calls for other SADC States to follow suit or better still avail more definitive incorporation of children in the education sector for ECD.
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