Sharjah 24: Under the auspices of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Sharjah, the UNESCO Office is organising, in partnership with UAE entities including Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA), Sharjah Education Academy, Sharjah Child Friendly Office (SCFO), and the Federal Agency for Early Education (FAEE), the UNESCO Regional Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education on June 4 and 5.
The conference, attended by a group of senior officials and specialised speakers, from different countries, includes a number of topics that highlight the development of early childhood programmes, achieving optimal growth for children from pregnancy until the age of eight, and promoting children safety and well-being within four main areas, including inclusiveness, quality, and well-being; workforce; programs innovations; and policy, governance and finance.
The conference aims to assess the progress made by the Arab region towards achieving SDG 4.2 and other sustainable development goals related to early childhood, in addition to sharing knowledge on key enabling factors, emerging research findings, good practices, and innovations to develop high-quality early childhood care and education policies and programmes.
The conference also aims to identify opportunities and set a set of priorities and strategies to achieve the desired goals, increase investment in early childhood care by governments and their partners, show solidarity and strengthen the regional partnership for the cause of early childhood, and review Sharjah experience in early childhood care and education.
The conference highlights four topics and key areas for promoting early childhood care and education in the region, including "inclusiveness, quality and well-being" including curricula and teaching methods, in addition to building solid foundations that include health, nutrition and well-being.
The conference also tackles "Early Childhood Care and Education Workforce and Caregivers", including systems for early childhood teacher and care staff training, attraction, employment and professionalism, certifications, licencing and career advancement, training, supervision and workforce in early childhood care, and education in the non-governmental sector.
The conference discusses “Programs Innovations” to take advantage of neurosciences to promote early brain development through technology and artificial intelligence, including screen time learning, AI ethics, as well as designing innovative learning practices and spaces, and alternative models for providing innovative care.
The fourth topic reviews "politics, governance and financing", including data, monitoring and evaluation, formal and informal political and legal frameworks, quality assurance systems, multi-sectoralisation and coordination.
The conference is expected to realise good results and recommendations, especially in the field of increasing investment and learning about Sharjah experience in early childhood care, to come up with a solidarity system that strengthens the regional partnership in the field of early childhood to promote innovative, high-quality policies and programmes.
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