PEF organizes workshop to improve knowledge about Early Childhood Experiential Learning 

Lahore  : The two days Interactive workshop on Early Childhood Experiential Learning in collaboration with Punjab Education Foundation and UNICEF was held in Quaid-e-Azam Academy for Education Department (formerly Directorate for Staff Development) with Secretary School Education Dr. Allah Bakhsh Malik in the chair.

The workshop was objected to improve knowledge on ECE among school owners, head teachers, teacher and communities and to share lessons learnt in ECE project. Tariq Mahmood MD PEF, Angela Kearney Country Representative UNICEF, Douglas G. Higgins, Chief of Field office UNICEF, Rubina Nadeem educational specialist UNICEF, Syed Mubashar Hussain Addl. Program Director Quaid, Asif Abrar, Education Officer UNICEF, Aisha Nauman Dir CPDP, PEF head teachers, teachers, caregivers, monitoring staff and master trainers and other staff attended the workshop.

Dr. Allah Bakhsh Malik Secretary School Education Department said that ECE would be a milestone initiative of the foundation which would give self-confidence to the budding minds as high quality education, early in life, gives children the best start. He opined the need to compile lessons learnt and integration in system with sustainability.

Angela Kearney Country Representative UNICEF reiterated the commitment to work in collaboration with relevant departments to ensure achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 4, by ensuring equal access to quality early childhood development. She also appreciating the efforts of CM, Punjab & Minister School Education for promotion of education. She also emphasized on an inter-departmental collaboration to create opportunities for Early Childhood Development.

Tariq Mahmood MD PEF highlighted that kids who take part in quality ECE are likely to be confident and curious about the world around them; and this will help them to do better than others. Quality schooling facility in early life gives such kids the best start to grow as self-confident citizen to take active part in national development. This facility would also help kids to learn important skills that facilitate them to become strong, happy and successful in later life. He further added that PEF has worked hard to improve levels of knowledge and skills amongst Head Teachers, Teachers and Caregivers in 105 partner schools in 5 districts. He was optimistic that such interventions will help improve school enrollment and retention.

Ayesha Nauman Director CPDP PEF said that this collaboration is very useful for enhancing especially girls’ literacy as they have been enjoying the facility of free schooling in their areas. PEF has also arranged teachers’ training to enhance their professional capacity. She further said that PEF is providing extensive training opportunities to the teachers of our partner schools, involved in imparting ECE, and a special ECE kit has also been distributed among these schools to help them impart ECE.