The Directorate of Staff Development (DSD) is planning to establish Early Childhood Education (ECE) classrooms in 1,000 schools in the province by next year.
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) intended to support in providing 10,000 ECE kits to public schools, Schools Education Department (SED) Special Secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch said while speaking at a one-day consultative session on ECE for classrooms of public schools in Punjab, organised by DSD in collaboration with Programme Management and Implementation Unit (PMIU).
DSD Programme Director Saieed Ramzan said about 40,000 teachers would be recruited only for primary schools, adding the investment in ECE was a commitment to the bright and prosperous future and played a pivotal role in the enrolment and retention of students and the ECE kit was being revised to improve ECE classrooms for better learning of kids.
Focal Person on ECE Fizza Ali said the kit contained materials to help teachers create a safe learning environment for children.
Each item was carefully selected to help develop skills for thinking, speaking, feeling and interacting with others. The contents in the kit included puzzles and games, counting circle and boxes to stack and sort, board books and puppets for storytelling and art supplies, she added.