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03/04/2017

From 1 to 3 March 2017, VVOB Vietnam participated in the Asia-Pacific Regional Childhood Development Conference organised by the Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The transformative power of early childhood development and the importance of holistic interventions were discussed. It was the fourth time that VVOB participated in the annual conference, which always offers a great opportunity to exchange on recent projects and research and to raise concerns with other experts. (Picture source: ARNEC leaflet).

Common goal

In 2016, VVOB engaged with 32 preschool teachers in a 6-month collaborative action research in the districts of Nam Giang (Quang Nam province), Thai Nguyen city and Vo Nhai (Thai Nguyen province). VVOB, supported them to improve their classroom practice by screening the levels of wellbeing and involvement of their children. VVOB presented the research findings and the way forward for the next five years: a focus on twenty-two disadvantaged and ethnically diverse district of three provinces in Central Vietnam (Kon Tum, Quang Ngai, Quang Nam).

Together with Plan Vietnam, VVOB has been representing ARNEC in Vietnam for the past three years. During a meeting at the conference all country coordinators discussed how to achieve the common goal of realising optimal wellbeing and development for all children in the region.

Holistic approach

Quality early childhood education is of major importance for children to develop fully in their early years. VVOB’s approach is to look at children’s wellbeing and involvement as process indicators of their learning and development. When a child shows high levels of wellbeing and involvement, he or she can develop fully in all the developmental areas: physical, linguistic, cognitive, social and emotional, and esthetical. For their brains to develop, children need to be stimulated. Rich stimulations at an early age have lifelong benefits. Over time, brain plasticity decreases and it becomes much harder and costlier to catch up on developmental delays.

Sound investment

The ARNEC conference stressed that quality early childhood programmes are a sound investment, and should not be considered an expenditure. VVOB Vietnam contributes to the development of research-based, efficient, and quality early childhood programmes and policies by measuring children’s development and addressing teachers’ competencies to work in a diverse classroom.

The quality of early childhood education services is fundamental to ensure that each child can unleash his or her full potential, resulting not only in the achievement of SDG 4 but also contributing to many other Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets.