GIVE MORE ATTENTION TO EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (PAGE 11, DEC 15, 2010)

THE Country Director of the Christian Children’s Fund of Canada (CCFC), Madam Sanatu Nantogma has entreated the government to give more attention to early childhood development.
According to her, learning begins from infancy and that the kind of training provided to children determines their intellectual, emotional and social development in later life.
She said ignoring the early education of children was the surest way to deny them of a brighter future, irrespective of how much resource was pumped into their adult education.
Madam Sanatu made these comments when she commissioned a fully-furnished Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre for Gnani, a community in the Yendi municipality of the Northern Region.
The centre, which comprises a three-unit classroom block with an office, a playground and urinal, was constructed by Tuma Kavi Development Association at a cost of GH¢42,000 provided by the CCFC.
Also attached to the centre is a 30,000-litre rainwater harvesting tank, which will provide potable water to the children and also facilitate the practice of hygiene.
Madam Sanatu noted that the provision of the ECD centre had opened a door of opportunity for many children in the area, adding that an initial 148 children had been admitted and this comprised 65 boys and 83 girls.
“The beauty of the project is that, indirectly, it will benefit some 636 children in various ways. The fully-furnished classroom and playground attached will make teaching and learning exciting for them,” she explained.
The CCFC director commended the Ghana Education Service for its partnership in ensuring the operation of the centre through the provision of teachers and other learning materials for the school.
She said the CCFC would also provide additional support for the recruitment of three volunteer teachers to augment the five teachers provided by the GES.
Madam Sanatu said her organisation had decided to construct the centre when it realised that the population of Gnani was increasing and yet the educational facilities were limited.
“The CCFC believes that there should not just be access, but this could be neatly tied to quality. Learning in an overcrowded classroom takes away a lot from the children particularly those who are easily distracted,” she stated.
The CCFC director cautioned the parents against leaving their children at home since the ECD centre had enough space for them to enrol their wards.