Educationists at an Early Years Children Conference have said education for children between ages zero and five is important and as such, adequate attention should be paid to such children for cognitive teaching, care, training, and development.
The founder and CEO of Alpha Global, Mrs Caroline Popoola, while giving the opening speech told the participants to re-ignite their passion for delivering the best value for early years children.
She stressed that good education and teachers would guarantee transformational value for the children.
Popoola said, “The age between 0 to 5 is unique for education as this is when the children are moulded, so we need to be conscious of the foundation we lay for them.
“This age is unique to the cognitive development of any child and requires utmost attention.
“We want to collaborate with all the stakeholders in the education sector to encourage good practices and ensure that we are doing it right for the future of our country.’’
The keynote speaker, Mr Fela Durotoye, stated that “The children if neglected will become major problems in the near future. Hence the need to address issues early before they get out of hand.’’
The Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, spoke about, ‘The role of government in early years of education: Regulations, legal issues, and the curriculum.
She asserted that Lagos State was experiencing a population explosion, adding “For us as a government, we want all children from any background irrespective of status to have access to adequate and quality early years education. We are also training the next generation of teachers for the state,’’ she said.
The Special Adviser to Ogun State Governor on Education for Primary and Secondary, Mrs Ronke Soyombo, shared that parents needed to care for the future generations by starting early with them.
