A delegation from the Seychelles Institute of Early Childhood Development (IECD), recognized as a UNESCO Category 2 Institute, recently embarked on a fact-finding mission to Colombo, Sri Lanka. The primary objective of the visit was to engage with organizations in the field of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and to explore potential collaboration opportunities and future cooperation between the two nations.
Led by Chief Executive Officer Mrs. Shirley Choppy, the five-member delegation met with leaders from several educational and training institutions offering programmes in Early Childhood Development, including the Vocational Training Authority and the Open University of Sri Lanka. Their goal was to gain insights into various training programmes while discussing potential partnership opportunities.
One of the key highlights of the visit was the enthusiasm expressed by the Open University to collaborate with IECD on research projects. They showed particular interest in the Assessment of Early Learning Readiness for children aged 3-4, which is essential prior to their admission into crèche or preschool. Additionally, the two parties explored the possibility of developing specialized distant online training programmes for educators in the early years, emphasizing the need for these programmes to maximize participation and benefit both Seychelles and other member states.
In addition to meetings and discussions, the IECD delegation visited several preschools to observe classroom sessions, learning environment and hold discussions with management about best practices, effectiveness of programme delivery and challenges they face in engaging young learners in Sri Lanka.
This mission underscores IECD’s commitment to enhancing early childhood education in Seychelles, as well as its dedication to fulfilling the strategic priorities of its Category 2 status by providing technical support and assistance to member states in the field of ECCE.
“The insights we gained from our visit to Sri Lanka are truly invaluable. The dedication and methodologies employed in their early childhood education are significantly different from ours, a difference that can be attributed to our unique cultural backgrounds. I am particularly pleased to see the strong emphasis they place on having qualified professionals working with young children. Moving forward, we are eager to follow up on the collaborations we discussed and leverage this promising partnership to enrich our own and other member states early childhood programmes” stated Mrs. Choppy.
The success of this exchange was made possible by the support of the Honorary Consul of Seychelles in Sri Lanka, Dr. Udeni Arwagoda, who facilitated contacts and coordinated the mission. His efforts are commended and sincerely appreciated.
