Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education John Phiri has said government recognises that all Zambian children have a right to quality education.
Dr. Phiri said the Patriotic Front (PF) government has pledged to the Zambian people that it would increase access to and improve the quality of early childhood education.
He said his ministry has a huge task of preparing children and to change the mindset of parents and guardians about the importance of early childhood education.
He said this in Lusaka today when UNICEF handed over two vehicles to the Ministry of Education.
The minister said government has embarked on the process of a regulatory framework which focuses on the development and application of standards and quality control mechanism.
He also disclosed that the government has developed curriculum guidelines and teaching material to be used for early child education.
He further said a total of 140 centres have been rehabilitated for use in early childhood education adding that about 1,000 early childhood teachers have since been recruited and deployed countrywide.
Dr. Phiri also disclosed that his ministry will in the year 2014 spend a total cost of K4.8 million on building early childhood centres countrywide.
The minister paid glowing tribute to UNICEF for the supporting it has been rendering in the area of early childhood education.
Meanwhile, UNICEF Zambia representative Hamid El Bashir said that United Nations agency’s support to the education sector was in line with the objectives of the Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP) and the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education national implementation framework.
In his hand over remarks, Dr. El Bashir said the two vehicles will enable the implementation and monitoring of early childhood education activities in the country.
The vehicles have been allocated to the Curriculum Development Centre (CDC) and the Directorate of Distance Education.
I hope the 1st Child, Gerald Sata is also included in the Early Childhood program, I really get worried to let him spend so much time with his “Dad” Sata, what can he learn from him?
U mfwa ku kabanda apapa mulu.Very confused being.