During the 3rd Early Childhood Development Conference, academics, civil society organisations and students reflected on the inclusion and protection of children in all child development and learning services from 0 to 8 years old.
At the start of the conference, the rector of Maputo's Pedagogical University, Jorge Ferrão, expressed concern about the fact that there is no clarity about whose responsibility it is in the government to ensure that early childhood grows up educated, i.e. whether it falls under the Ministry of Education or Human Development, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Action or the Ministry of Health.
"We still don't have a very clear definition of who is in charge of early childhood education in the country," said Ferrão, advocating that the government should create a budget for early childhood education to guarantee the inclusion of all children in pre-school education, as opposed to the current scenario in which "we continue to live off small projects that are implemented by partners".
Jorge Ferrão used official figures from the education sector which show that there are around 1,500 pre-school institutions in the country, with more than 100,000 children enrolled in them. These figures are far removed from the reality of the number of children in Mozambique.
The former Minister of Education and Human Development advocates more investment in the pre-school education system, seeking to include all Mozambican children. If these levels continue, only 10 per cent of Mozambicans in early childhood will be included in the pre-school network by 2024.
In front of teachers, researchers, students, activists and civil society organisations, Jorge Ferrão called for joint efforts and, above all, recognition of the importance of early childhood development in building a more promising and equal future for Mozambican society.
At the event, the well-known activist Farida Gulamo, from the Association of Disabled Mozambicans, defended inclusive education from early childhood onwards, following the example of children with hearing, motor and other disabilities.
"Special educational needs are all children who need pedagogical assistance in their learning, they can be children with learning dyslexia problems, they can be children with disability problems, they can be gifted children, they can be children with behavioural problems. A child with polio, for example, in a classroom must be in the front rows, because they have a wheelchair, or in the front desks, so they can access the blackboard. So they have some additional needs, not necessarily educational. But barriers need to be removed to make it easier for them to access the classroom. On the teacher's side, they need to know sign language and be able to pass on knowledge to these children."
As an example, Farida Gulamo said, at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, lessons were broadcast on television and many children with hearing difficulties, for example, were excluded.
The 3rd Early Childhood Development Conference focuses on the well-being of children through advocacy, dissemination and stimulating research and is organised by the Pedagogical University of Maputo (UPMaputo) through the Faculty of Education and Psychology (FEP).
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