Republic of Mauritius- First Leadership Capacity Building Workshop on early childhood launched

The three-day workshop, on the theme “Making it to 2030 and contributing to Africa’s Agenda 2063“ and targeting Eastern and Southern African countries, is organised by the ADEA in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research, the African Union Commission, and the African Early Childhood Network. The United States Agency for International Development and the Global Partnership for Education are also providing assistance to the workshop.

Some 60 ECD stakeholders and practitioners are engaging in policy implementation issues relating to the needs and priorities in the delivery of an integrated package of ECD services. The objectives of the workshop are to share country experiences of current status of ECED workforce and showcase innovations, and engage in policy implementation issues relating to needs and priorities in the delivery of an integrated package of ECED services. It also aims at supporting policy implementation at national level for early learning and contributing towards the development of an online ECD leadership programme for sustainable capacity building.

On that occasion, Minister Dookun-Luchoomun observed that ECED is viewed as a pillar for future learning and the next frontier to be expanded so as to sustain quality education and training in Africa. She stated that the workshop’s theme is quite apt as it also plans to cover other important aspects pertaining to the quality of ECED programmes and services, before making an appeal to participants to come up with tools and standards that will assist Member countries in furthering the implementation process at the national level.

According to the Minister, the three-fold objectives of the ICQN are: to play a leadership role in terms of advocacy and policy dialogue; to act as a regional platform for capacity building; and to facilitate knowledge sharing and dissemination, peer learning and innovation endeavours. Hence, this workshop, stated the Education Minister, goes in this direction and will help meet these objectives, which are significantly aligned with the mission that the Continental Education Strategy for Africa Early Childhood Education and Development Cluster has invested itself with.

For his part, the Executive Secretary of the ADEA, Mr Albert Nsengiyumva, said that Mauritius has shown effectiveness in implementing its policies in most areas, and particularly in the field of early childhood education and development. Mauritius, according to him, has made a good start and has reached a high level in pre-school education. The workshop will allow other partners to learn and share this achievement with other African countries, he added.