The Institute of Early Childhood Development is now officially recognised as a category two centre for Early Childhood Care and Education under the auspices of the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
The agreement, which was signed in 2021, came into effect on June 1, 2023.
On the other hand, the government of Seychelles took a significant step towards advancing early childhood development with the enactment of the new Early Childhood Development Act 2022 and this resulted in the Institute of Early Childhood Development (IECD) being officially recognised as a category two centre for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE).
This momentous development underscores both IECD and United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (Unesco) commitment to fostering international cooperation in the holistic development of children and strengthening ECCE in line with the sustainable development goals for education (SDG 4) and ECCE (SDG 4.2).
The recognition will allow IECD to serve as a pivotal hub for research, quality assurance, advocacy, knowledge exchange and collaboration in the field of early childhood development. As a category two centre, it will have access to specialised technical support from Unesco affiliated partners, enabling it to make further contributions towards ensuring the quality provision of ECCE.
“We are delighted to announce the formal recognition of the Institute of Early Childhood Development as a category two centre for ECCE under Unesco’s auspices,” said Shirley Choppy, chief executive of the IECD.
Unesco, the institute will collaborate with key stakeholders, including government agencies, educators, researchers, and civil society organisations, to advance knowledge, policies, and practices in early childhood development.
The IECD’s inclusion in the category two centre network will foster international cooperation and facilitate the exchange of best practices to ensure quality ECCE services globally.
The transformation to a category two centre under the auspices of Unesco, underscores IECD’s remarkable achievements made towards the ECCE agenda in the country and beyond.
As an extension arm of the Unesco, the institution aims at accelerating the progress towards achieving sustainable development goals and ultimately create a brighter future for children worldwide.
Being the first organisation in the country to achieve such stature, IECD will require commitment and support from the government to fulfil its autonomous mandate and international obligations.
This great milestone would not have been possible without the unflinching support of the President of the Republic, the cabinet of ministers, the National Assembly, the IECD’s founding members, and the commitment put forth by IECD’s board members, management and staff, and the ECCE partners and stakeholders across the different sectors.
