On Tuesday, March 3rd, the Ministry of Education hosted the opening of Early Childhood Month, under the theme: “Early Years are Learning Years – Make Them Count”. The welcome and opening remarks were given by Mrs. Julet Simon, who also delivered the Invocation. The moderator was Mrs. Genna Webster-Williams.
In her remarks, Mrs. Simon stated: “Today marks the commencement of Early Childhood Month, and the organization for Early Childhood Education is greatly honoured to have you share in this celebration. Early childhood plays a critical role in children’s development and, recognizing this, the Association continues to plan activities on an annual basis to highlight its importance.
“Our task, as preschool teachers, is to provide experiences and support for the children to help them gain the good foundation and skills they require for school and life in general. This is not always an easy task, but as teachers we embrace it and give it our best effort.”
Mrs. Simon thanked the Ministry of Education for supporting Early Childhood Education in Anguilla. She also acknowledged the support of parents. In addition, she thanked all the hardworking early childhood teachers for their dedication to their tasks.
To the amusement of the appreciative audience, there were noteworthy and admirable renditions by the young children of TOPS Preschool, First Baptist Preschool and the Kindergarteners.
Deputy Governor, Mr. Perin Bradley, delivered the feature address. He stated: “Early Childhood Education matters, and it matters greatly. During this period, children gain the social, emotional, cognitive and physical development needed to help them achieve a brighter future. If done right, early childhood education can give children a love of learning for a lifetime. As such, I would like to thank every one of you for the work that you do.”
Mr. Bradley went on: “While the early years are learning years for the children, they are also learning years for parents. Recently, I had the privilege of attending a parenting workshop conducted by the Education Department. The study was on Positive Behaviour Management, and I found the information quite useful and practical. I took away something from that workshop which we actually use at home with our four-year-old daughter. It is a rule that our daughter has to be respectful, she has to be helpful, and she has to be careful. Those are things that I learned at that workshop, and those traits do matter in a child’s life.”
The Honourable Cora Richardson Hodge opened the month of activities. She began by informing the gathering that as part of the government team, earlier that morning, she had been at the contract signing event for the third phase of the construction of the new Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School, and that as she sat and witnessed the young children perform in their songs, she could not help but think that one day in the not too distant future those little children would be students at that new school.
She continued: “I commend the organizers of this month of activities. This month serves as a reminder of the importance of Early Childhood Education for the development of young minds and for laying a solid foundation for the development of well-rounded individuals. Investment in Early Childhood Education is absolutely essential for a prosperous and sustainable society.”
She noted that from her vantage point as Minister of Education, she is even more cognizant of the need for investing in this stage of young children’s lives. She elaborated: “I have become even more convinced of the need for investments in this area, especially since I have been serving as minister of Education over the past few years. The research is there to prove that early learning experiences matter for a lifetime. Therefore, we must treat early childhood learning with the importance that it deserves.”
The Minister further said: “Government will continue to support your work, and we will seek to find ways of enhancing that support. The business of nurturing and educating our children is the collective responsibility of us all, and we pledge to remain steadfast in working with the early childhood sector to ensure that you have the skills and resources to be excellent at what you do.
“It is therefore with pleasure that I declare Early Childhood Month 2020 now open. Best wishes for a successful month.”
During the course of the month of March/April, activities will include: Parent & Child Numeracy Evening – Friday, March 6th; Children Church Service – Wednesday, March 11th; Aerobics Exercise for Teacher and Parents; Open Week – March 16th to 19th; Children’s Parade on Agricultural Grounds – Friday, March 20th; Parent Appreciation Day – Wednesday, March 25th; Sports Day at Coronation Park – Friday, March 27th; Teachers’ Night Out – Saturday, April 4th.
– Staff Reporter, James R. Harrigan
