Early Childhood Education Project Benefits More Than 45,000 Teachers and Students in Mumbai

Image Credits: SIF, Unsplash (representational)

The Logical Indian Crew

Early Childhood Education Project Benefits More Than 45,000 Teachers and Students in Mumbai

The five-year project between Singapore International Foundation and Muktangan Education Trust, saw early childhood educators from Singapore working with their counterparts in India to help ensure that children in Mumbai have access to better formative education.

A five-year collaborative project between the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) and about 45,000 educators and students from Maharashtra wrapped up successfully on 21 November 2022. The initiative was launched to improve the quality of early childhood education in Mumbai and actively explored the possibilities of exchanging knowledge, skills, and experience. With the project's conclusion, SIF and India marked yet another milestone in their long-cherished friendship. Ever since 1995, SIF has brought together Singaporeans and Indians to work on shared challenges at the people-to-people level.

Toward A Brighter And Better Future

Early childhood education (ECE) is a crucial element that builds the foundation for a child's education. It plays a decisive role in the success of every stage of education that follows. According to UNICEF, the failure to provide quality early childhood education limits a child’s future and is equivalent to denying them opportunities to reach their full potential. Multiple studies on how pre-primary education advances development stands as evidence of this fact.

In a bid to ensure that quality early childhood education reaches one and all, the SIF launched the ECE Curriculum Enhancement and Pedagogy Project with several educators in Mumbai. The cross-border initiative was organised in 2017 in collaboration with the Muktangan Education Trust, a non-profit organisation that supports municipal schools in Mumbai.

The objective was plain and simple - enhance the ECE curriculum and the capabilities of teachers in Mumbai. Over the years, a team of Singapore International Volunteers (SIVs) comprising 32 educators engaged with 700 educators in Mumbai through online and in-person workshops, study visits, and a symposium. It came to a conclusion by 2022, having benefited over 45,000 educators and students in Maharashtra.

Educating And Empowering Thousands

As a result of the five-year-long collaboration, thousands of children in Maharashtra between the ages of three and eight now receive better education. About 39 Indian Master Trainers were equipped with the skills and knowledge to train other ECE educators. They taught at least 3,400 teachers how to improve curricula and developed new teaching and assessment skills. According to the SIF website, the project saw its concluding note with a symposium held in Mumbai in November 2022. SIVs, Muktangan members, and project participants were among the hundreds of guests present at the event to mark the conclusion of the project.

During the event, Mr Ng Herk Low, the SIF Division Director, said, "Early childhood education is an essential building block of a child’s growth. We are privileged to have worked with Muktangan Education Trust on this initiative to help ensure that children in Mumbai have access to quality formative education." He also added that the SIF looks forward to more such opportunities to uplift lives and build a better world together. With the completion of the project, SIF and India marked yet another milestone in their 26-year-long friendship.

Also Read: Here's How This Non-Profit Is Turning Mumbai Into Kindness Capital Of India

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