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{
    "id": 1057608,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1057608/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 397,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Seme, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) James Nyikal",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 434,
        "legal_name": "James Nyikal",
        "slug": "james-nyikal"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this important Bill. Early childhood education has three important components. One, it is the foundation of education where children get in touch with formal education and lay a foundation that will be important throughout their lives. If they miss it, they may never get it again. Two, it is a period of active development physically, mentally and personally. At this point, children’s brains are still developing. They have changes in their bodies that need to be recognised and sometimes monitored. It is a time they develop their language and personality, and we can detect their talents. Three, it is an important stage of health for their future. They form eating habits. Their nutrition at this point is important. Some non-communicable diseases have their basis at this stage from how children are fed and the eating habits that they develop. Their nutrition is important not only in terms of their development at that point, but also in their future health as adults. At this level, they are still prone to some diseases. So, they will require immunisation. This is the time when some hereditary conditions that children are born with will show. It is a time you will discover that a child has problems with vision and hearing that will affect their learning and development. It is also when you can detect early personality disorders. This is not a time that you can talk about education alone. It is, therefore, important that we have structures, as proposed in this Bill that are child-friendly and take into consideration the development of the child. The educational equipment that is required at this time is not only important in learning, but is also important in the development of manual skills and functional skills. It is critical that the curriculum that is developed takes into consideration all these three components of development, growth and early education of a child. Therefore, training of teachers is important. To a large extent, we have delegated the training of teachers for early childhood education to people who did not do well. This is where you need well trained people in psychology and educational development principals. Therefore, it is a complex period. We have not funded it well. Many of the facilities in many institutions are dilapidated and not properly maintained. We must improve them. There is need to have a proper link between the national Government and the county governments. This is where we must have a process for monitoring and enforcing standards and policies, if we are to get uniform education for children across the country. Thank you."
}