Early childhood, defined as the period from birth to eight years old, is a time of remarkable brain growth and development at its peak.
During this stage, children are highly influenced by the environment and the people who surround them.
Early childhood care and education (ECCE) involves more than preparation for primary school.
It aims at the holistic development of a child’s social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs in order to build a solid and broad foundation for lifelong learning and wellbeing.
ECCE plays an important role to nurture caring, capable and responsible future citizens.
This year, the Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development organised “Character Building in the New Norm” a zoom webinar for the inaugural Sarawak Preschool International Convention from 1 to 3 October 2021.
The objectives for this conventions are:
i. To enhance educators’ knowledge and understanding of human character formation in children;
ii. To reskill early childhood educators in cultivating and nurturing children’s spiritual, cognitive, social, physical and emotional developments in the new norm; and
iii. To identify challenges in shaping human character, talents, interests and potentials of children.
YAB Datuk Patinggi (Dr.) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari Bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg, Chief Minister of Sarawak in his opening remarks mention that Sarawak through the Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development, places great emphasis on the provision of facilities, infrastructure, personnel and supervisory support for early childhood care and education.
Chief Minister further stated that early childhood education has become the forefront in education, and Sarawak Government recognizes the importance of quality education for all our children.
He also mention that Sarawak Government is continuously looking into the professional development of Sarawak’s early childhood educators in its quest to improve the knowledge and skills of practitioners and operators.
Before COVID-19 pandemic, ECCE classes were conducted face-to-face fully. ECCE educators were able to interact with children.
With the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of classes, even for ECCE, have shifted online and character building has become a great challenge in the new norm.
As COVID-19 evolves from being pandemic to endemic, we need to adapt ourselves to the new norm in our teaching and learning.
YB Dato Sri Hajah Fatimah Abdullah, Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Sarawak in her welcoming speech mention that preschools in Sarawak, have been given the approval to operate since 26 June 2021 following stringent SOPs from the Ministry.
As of 26 June 2021, there are 381 preschools operated with 2,789 educators and caregiver and a total of 16,831 children.
She also mention that in support to all preschool operators in this challenging time, Sarawak Government allow Preschool operators to use the Annual Special Grant of RM5,000 to purchase masks, hand-soaps, hand sanitizer, or pay for sanitization services of their institutions, and even do minor work to suit the need.
The Special Annual Grant appropriated to registered Preschools starting in 2019 and Sarawak Government provide RM 16 million yearly since then.
