By Vernon Daley, Staff ReporterA COMMISSION is to be set up to co-ordinate and oversee early childhood development in Jamaica.
The House of Representatives yesterday approved the Early Childhood Commission Act 2002, providing for the establishment of the commission, which will prevent the splintering of services relating to early childhood development.
"The commission will have an operational body and this will facilitate the management and delivery of standards," said Maxine Henry-Wilson, the Education, Youth and Culture Minister.
Henry-Wilson, who piloted the Bill in the House, said the commission would provide the institutional framework to weave together the work of all agencies and groups dealing with early childhood development, including health and education.
It will provide a comprehensive framework for all aspects of early childhood education, care and development, including the development of policies for the regulation and licensing of day-care centres, basic schools and other early childhood institutions.
Making his contribution to the debate, Edward Seaga, leader of the JLP, said many children were being deprived of an adequate early childhood education because of deficiencies at the basic school level.
Many infant school teachers were unqualified and therefore unable to provide proper training to students, Mr. Seaga said. He added that these teachers were, in many cases, badly paid.
"These are the people to whom we entrust our children," he said.
Mr. Seaga said the Government needed to commit adequate funds to basic school training, noting that it was at this stage that children's brains were most active and capable of learning.
The Bill which was passed without amendment will now go to the Senate for debate.
