Seminar
ITA
 
Seminar Overview
E&LD and the Reform Support Unit (RSU) Government of Sindh in collaboration with Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) are hosting a two day regional conference focusing on Right to Education & Early Childhood Education and Development to highlight the critical importance of early years investment for education and well-being. All legislation on Article 25 A (for 5-16) year olds is committed to ECE support in Pakistan.
More recently in the Post 2015 Development Agenda global debates in Oman, (May 12-14 2014) ECCE has been earmarked as Target No. 1 for the stand alone overarching education goal.
“Ensure equitable and inclusive quality education and lifelong learning for all by 2030”; Target 1: By 2030, increase the percentage of children who access early childhood care and education (ECCE) to at least x% and start primary education ‘ready to learn’
Following the seminar in Salzburg there was a consensus to continue the interrogations at global, regional and local levels. The first in the series is proposed to be held in Pakistan (Lahore) as host to the South Asian and South East Asian region.
All provincial governments have endorsed ECE in their education sector plans with access and quality projections alongwith budgets. This is an excellent opportunity to learn from other countries in the region about their best practices in policies, strategies, implementation, innovations and research.
ITA’s flagship research program ASER Pakistan each year tracks 3-5 year olds and children’s learning in grades 1-2 for learning readiness-and ECE has significant implications for 25A; Open Society Foundations (OSF) and DFID are partners in this endeavor. Dubai Cares is supporting 400 ECE classrooms in Sindh and Balochistan (2014-16) to help accelerate implementation of Sector Plans.
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE REGIONAL CONFERENCE TO BE HOSTED IN PAKISTAN ARE:
Upgrade the ECE/ECED profile in education initiatives - policy, standards, teacher education, & implementation as part of the right to education movement encompassed in Article 25 A and its accompanying legislation/rules in Pakistan and in other South Asian Countries
Underscore ECE/ECED’ critical positioning as a cross cutting multi-sectoral goal to meet many indicators in the Post 2015 Development Agenda (Child /Maternal Health/Nutrtion/Poverty etc)
Create a South Asian/Asia Pacific Learning/Research Platform for ECE/ECED supported by ARNEC, CECED, SAFED, PLAN, UNICEF, UNESCO & Others to enable collaboration across borders
Expected Outcomes:
Improve their understanding of ECE/ECED as a comprehensive learning and development agenda
Share national and regional best practices in this sub-sector with respect to curriculum, assessment teacher preparation and implementation arrangements
Explore policy and institutional arrangements for ECE/ECED at provincial, national and regional levels
Learn from the best practitioners, leaders, experts and policy makers
 
  Resource persons confirmed from Pakistan, South Asia and East Asia
Seminar Senior Minister Education & Literacy Sindh Mr. Nisar Ahmed Khurho – ACS Education Sindh. Dr. FazalullahPechuho
Seminar Secretaries Education and Focal Persons on ECE from Public Sector
Seminar Dr. VenitaKaul-Ambedkar University Director CECED, India
Seminar Dr. GhazalaRafique- AKU Karachi
Seminar Ms. SudheshnaSengupta- Mobile Creches- India
Seminar Ms. Mahmuda Akhtar - Bangladesh
Seminar Dr. Samir NathRanjan- Bangladesh
Seminar Dr. Bernadette Dean - Karachi
Seminar Dr. Shanta Dixit -Rato Bangla Foundation - Nepal
  Categories of Potential Participants
Seminar Policy-makers and educators in the private and public sectors;
Seminar Senior managers from provincial and district government dealing with ECE /ECED ;
Seminar Practitioners, Academics and researchers desirous of reforming the province’s education sector
Seminar NGO .CSO, ARNEC, SAFED leaders and representatives of international donor agencies with an interest in education sector.
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