25 Aug 2022

Botswana’s early childhood development professionals have been commended for their immense contribution and deliberate investment in the early years of life.

Addressing the national early childhood development Pitso in Palapye on Wednesday, Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Mabuse Pule said such commitment would enhance the economic and socio-emotional development of citizens at all levels.

Mr Pule said another benefit was the knowledge generated from advances in neuroscience on brain development which underlined the importance of the nurturing qualities of environments where children grew and learnt.

He said placing greater emphasis on early education and stimulation was also a strategy to alleviate substance abuse and criminal behaviour that plagued many adolescents and young adults.

Mr Pule said most research on early childhood education revealed  that individuals and societies greatly benefited socially and economically from it.

“The economic benefit, for example, can be immense when emphasis is placed on early childhood development initiatives,” he said.

The assistant minister said  recognition of early childhood as the foundation for sustainable development was inherent in the global 2030 agenda which gave children’s survival and development a prominent place.

While all Sustainable Development Goals aimed at creating enabling environments for children to survive and thrive, Mr Pule said five of them explicitly related to young children.

“They seek to end all forms of poverty, malnutrition, preventable deaths, abuse, exploitation and violence, as well as ensure the provision of access to quality pre-primary education and a legal identity right from birth,” he said.

Mr Pule said the commitments had been taken at the highest level by governments and would require substantial additional finance and human resource investments.

According to the assistant minister, political prioritisation was essential in creating an enabling environment for advancing early childhood development.

He said managing an integrated early childhood system required high levels of inter-sectoral collaboration and coordination.

Policy makers through to administrators and implementers should work together to ensure the child’s right to health, nutrition, safety and security, responsive caregiving and early learning, said Mr Pule.

The Pitso was held under the theme: “Rethinking and Repositioning Early Childhood Development in Botswana”.

The objective was to highlight and reflect on the role of the ministries of local government and rural development, health and education and skills development on implementation of early childhood development.

Other objectives were to share and discuss trends and emerging issues in the field as well as to highlight and strengthen opportunities for promoting and advancing quality early childhood  development in Botswana.BOPA