In our increasingly global world, personal competence and the quality of life of the future population hinges on the development of children. Early childhood Education experts and Neuro-Science experts have in various longitudinal as well as cross-cultural studies estimated that around 200 million children below the age of 5 in developing countries are not able to reach optimum development levels primarily due to factors like Nature (Birth) and Nurture (upbringing). Adverse environmental issues like poverty, poor health and nutrition as well as personal experiences, lack of stimulation create detrimental developmental barriers that have devastating effects on a person’s learning and earning potential in the long run.
The learning that takes place during the early childhood years serves as the foundation for all later academic, social, emotional, and physical and motor development that takes place in a child’s life.
Our Early child development (ECD) centres which started in the year 2013 were conceptualized by recognizing the very need to give holistic development of the young murids of the jamat on whose (now) tiny yet able shoulders lies the future of our community.
ECD is the foundation for laying strong pillars of human development. ECD programs enable children to grow both physically and mentally, emotionally, socially and spiritually to reach the zenith of their potential and ultimately contribute to the larger community by being a valuable citizen.
The Academic domains of ECD when combined with the moral and ethical foundation of religious education make both parenting and teaching a joyful experience for the respective stakeholders. Today the ECD centres are a collaborative effort of multiple stakeholders like ITREB, the Education Board and the Health Board who leave no stone unturned to work towards the holistic well being of the child.
They are now functioning successfully in different cities and even remote jamati centres through effective use of technology for eg. E-classes.
ECD programmes are conceptualized and designed for the age group of 0-6 years and also include pre-natal development for pregnant women thereby giving children a head-start and a learning advantage over their contemporaries even before they officially begin school. Parents whose children have got the opportunity to learn in the ECD centres before they began formal schooling vouch for the advantage their pupils had. This also includes positive and encouraging feedbacks from their respective schools who were awed by their innate intelligence and enhanced skill set.
ECD centres have helped plug the opportunity gap for children who live in poverty or disadvantaged social conditions. Investing in ECD programs translates into multi-fold of benefits not only for the generation receiving it but for the future generations as well. Integrated health, nutrition, care and constructive stimulation have proven to be both productive and positive for children and parents too.
