Programme launched to boost early childhood development

The education, arts and culture ministry launched a technical assistance programme last week aimed at improving early childhood development (ECD) and pre-primary education (PPE) throughout Namibia.The programme, which forms part of an approximately N$318 million (16 million euro) EU sector reform contract, is being implemented with direct budget support and complimentary technical assistance from a technical assistance team, the United Nations International Children&#039;s Emergency Fund (Unicef) and the World Food Programme (WFP).The ministry&#039;s executive director, Sanet Steenkamp, said the collaborative effort between government, development partners and NGOs is a testament to a shared commitment to give Namibian children the best start in life. “By working together, we can strengthen early education and help shape a brighter future for our country.” EU programme manager, Herve Rousseau, said: “Human development and education are key focus areas of our cooperation, ensuring that children develop their full potential. In the medium to long term, our support of ECD lays a strong foundation for a healthy, educated and capacitated workforce.”Strong foundation The initiative promotes quality learning by strengthening the capacity of teachers and educators through training and performance assessment. It campaigns for increased access to ECD by supporting the rehabilitation and construction of more ECD classrooms, especially in vulnerable communities.It will also facilitate access to sustainable feeding programmes and the piloting of feeding programmes in ECD centres serving vulnerable communities. The initiative also seeks to enhance governance by engaging civil society organisations (CSOs), the private sector and parents.Steenkamp highlighted that the programme sets ambitious goals to improve the quality of early childhood education and care in line with national strategic plans. “It aims to establish a strong foundation for children&#039;s future learning and reinforce the capacity of the ministry in critical areas such as spending efficiency through improved public financial management, sector coordination and data management, ECD and PPE awareness and advocacy, service delivery and the quality of teaching and care in ECD and PPE. The ministries are working to scale up access and the quality of services.”Working together The education ministry initiative, in collaboration with the gender, poverty eradication, and social welfare ministry with support from the European Union Delegation to Namibia, was officially inaugurated during a kick-off meeting and marked the beginning of a significant effort to enhance educational outcomes for young children in the country.Technical assistance will be provided by Linpico SARL and a team of experts, including Francois Brand, Jessica Brown and Cassandra Krohne.The team will work closely with the respective line ministries in conjunction with partners such as Unicef and the WFP funded by the EU to collectively support capacity building to ensure efficient resource management and improved educational outcomes for young Namibians.

Programme launched to boost early childhood development

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-23

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Programme launched to boost early childhood development

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-23

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