VICTORIA, Seychelles — A delegation from the Seychelles Institute of Early Childhood Development (IECD), recognised 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 organisations 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 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. One of the key highlights of the visit was the enthusiasm expressed by the Open University to collaborate with IECD on research projects, particularly on the Assessment of Early Learning Readiness for children aged 3-4, which is essential prior to their admission into crèche or preschool.
“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,” stated Mrs Choppy. The success of the exchange was made possible by the support of the honorary consul of Seychelles in Sri Lanka, Dr Udeni Arwagoda.
