There should be greater community involvement in early childhood education - Tabuya

There should be greater community involvement in early childhood education, as there is an urgent need to close learning gaps for young children.

Minister for Information, Lynda Tabuya highlighted this at the Waidamudamu Gospel Community Church dinner fundraiser held in aid of the Waidamudamu Learning Centre in Nausori where she commended them for their decade-long commitment to nurturing young minds.

Tabuya says learning centres need to be able to look after our children safely, and in a way that gives peace of mind to parents and caregivers when they need to go out and work.

The fundraiser aimed to raise funds for the extension of the hall at Waidamudamu Learning Centre to accommodate the increasing admission.

Drawing from her own experiences with the Kalabu community mobile, Tabuya shared that children who have gone through such programmes often excel academically and socially.

Further highlighting Fiji’s alarming rates of child abuse and non-communicable diseases, Tabuya underscored the importance of teaching children not only knowledge, but also values such as kindness, healthy living, and self-reliance.

The Minister reaffirmed her commitment to advocating for child welfare and early education at every level of government.

Completing a decade this year, the Waidamudamu Learning Centre was born out of a dream by Mr. and Mrs. Kalouniviti Snr, who envisioned creating a place where they could not only provide early childhood education but also share the gospel and reach out to the families living in the area.