Access to early childhood education can provide children who have been marginalized by poverty, ethnicity, disability, location or gender, the means to engage in academics.
This was highlighted by Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Veena Bhatnagar while opening the inaugural Early Childhood Education Week at the Nadi Centre for Special Education.
She also highlighted that around the world over 150 million children ages three to five do not have access to pre‑primary education adding that Fijian children are amongst the lucky ones who have this aspect of education as a compulsory part of their education system.
Bhatnagar says that as parents, teachers, care givers and government ministries, it is important to know that all children are capable of learning and thus, needed improved learning environments.
The Ministry for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation has partnered with the Ministry of Education for public awareness on child protection and avenues for them to seek professional counselling and guidance.
Meanwhile the Nadi Centre for Special Education currently caters for years one to eight but is keen to incept a new intervention center by 2019 that will assist improving the detection of special needs for young children.
