With the participation of international experts
“Khalifa Award”: Innovation is the secret to the excellence of early childhood care globally
Steven Barnett: Promoting the role of educational and community institutions in early childhood care
Nirmala Rao: Improving the learning environment for early childhood in low- and middle-income countries
Candice Potgieter: Social entrepreneurship plays a crucial role in early childhood development
Milagros Norris: Failure to invest in early childhood development has negative effects on the care system
Abu Dhabi: Tuesday, October 15, 2024
The Khalifa Award for Education’s General Secretariat emphasized the significance of using cutting-edge techniques in preschool programs and providing a rich, engaging environment for young children in the first years of their lives in order to foster an entrepreneurial spirit and encourage creative problem-solving via the use of proven scientific methods.
This occurred during a discussion hosted by the Award’s general secretariat, which aimed to introduce the purpose and message of the Khalifa International Award for Early Learning Field. The award is given annually on a global scale and encompasses two categories: Best Research and Studies and Best Projects, Curricula, Teaching Methodologies and Practices.
Speakers at the webinar, “Enhancing Early Education and Development in Low- and Middle-Income Countries,” included: Professor Nirmala Rao, Serena H. C. Yang Professor of Early Childhood Development and Education and Chair Professor of Child Development and Education at the University of Hong Kong; Candice Potgieter, CEO of “Unlimited Child”, a previous winner of the 17th edition; and Dr. Milagros Norris, Co-Director of the National Institute for Early Education Research, moderated by Professor Steven Barnett, Co-Director of the National Institute for Early Education Research and Distinguished Professor of the Board of Governors at Rutgers University, USA.
At the beginning of the webinar session, Professor Steven Barnett stressed the importance of the message and objectives of the Khalifa International Award for Early Learning Field, which aims to enhance the various social, physical, mental, intellectual, creative, psychological, cognitive and emotional fields in the early education and childhood years, and enrich distinguished innovative education programs with research, studies, programs, curricula, methodologies and advanced teaching methods in the field of early education. He further elaborated on how this field motivates and enables teachers who are innovators of change through best practices and innovation in the field of early education. While focusing on activating and encouraging the role of centers, institutions and educational companies specialized in the field of early childhood, Dr. Barnett highlighted and made honorable mentions regarding the most successful experiences and practices of parents or individuals interested in caring for and developing childhood, providing early education services, and benefiting from the best studies and most successful educational programs, methodologies and practices in the early childhood stage, and encouraging their application in educational institutions within the country. During the webinar, he also touched on the importance of the two categories offered by this field, namely the Best Research and Studies category, where the judging process is based on four criteria: innovation, importance, methodological accuracy, and impact. While the judging process for the Best Programs, Curricula, Teaching Methodologies and Practices category relies on slightly different criteria: innovation, importance, impact, and feasibility/sustainability.
The importance of early learning, the launch of advanced early childhood education programs, and the implementation of effective models and practices to guarantee comprehensive care for the quality of the early childhood education system were arguments emphasized by Professor Nirmala Rao, who reasoned that crucial policies and practices are crucial in improving early childhood education access and quality in low- and middle-income countries.
Candice Potgieter discussed the role of social entrepreneurship in shaping early learning in low- and middle-income countries and called for sharing innovative approaches that social enterprises can provide to improve access and quality in early childhood development services to create a sustainable model.Social entrepreneurship is crucial to improving early children development programs in low- and middle-income nations, she said. Social businesses can bridge access and quality gaps by integrating technology, community models, and policy reform to solve early learning problems. These programs may also address systemic impediments and construct scalable early childhood development frameworks. Social entrepreneurs can also improve government, private sector, and community partnerships to create a more inclusive and high-quality early education ecosystem for low- and middle-income children.
The webinar concluded with Dr. Milagros Norris, who brought to light key considerations for financing early childhood development, or in other terms: thinking systematically to support every child, and reviewed innovative revenue strategies and the high costs of not investing in high-quality early childhood development, especially in low-income countries, stressing the importance of building capacity at the national and international levels, aligning financing for health, education and social protection systems, as well as coordination across strategic sectors to ensure that early childhood development programs are effectively financed and sustainable in the future.