On August 29, 2024, a delegation from SEAMEO SEN made an official visit to the SEAMEO CECCEP office to discuss potential collaborations in inclusive education and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). The SEAMEO SEN delegation included Madam Jamilah Kadir, Director of SEAMEO SEN; Datin Era Zaffura Md Sin, Head of the Management Division; Madam Monishah Md Sha, Head of the Training and Capacity Development Division; Mr. Mohd Zulkarnain Abdul Wahab, Head of the Strategic Planning and Communication Division; Mr. Ahmad Heikhal Amir Hamzah, Manager of the Strategic Planning and Communication Division; Mr. Muhammad Ikram Ab Aziz, Program Officer of the Management Division; and Ms. Nadia Natasha Arshad, Program Officer of the Strategic Planning and Communication Division.
Madam Jamilah Kadir expressed her gratitude for the warm welcome received from SEAMEO CECCEP. "This place is very conducive to discussing potential collaborations. We hope to work together in 2025 to enhance early childhood education and develop special education programs," said Jamilah Kadir.
Professor Vina from SEAMEO CECCEP welcomed the visit. "We are very pleased with the arrival of SEAMEO SEN. We see many opportunities for collaboration, especially in the implementation of training programs for teachers of young children with special needs," said Professor Vina. SEAMEO CECCEP focuses on inclusive education and needs expertise from SEAMEO SEN to broaden its understanding of how to handle children with special needs.
The discussions also covered potential collaborations in research, the development of training modules, and the organization of webinars to introduce the concept of inclusive education. Ith Vuthy, DDP-SEAMEO CECCEP, highlighted the importance of training for early childhood teachers in handling children with special needs, emphasizing that screening should be conducted without labeling these children.
During this visit, both organizations also discussed potential collaborative research and programs on children with special needs, particularly focusing on children with hearing impairments. There are also plans to raise awareness about inclusive education by providing materials that are widely accessible to students, teachers, and parents. "We are developing videos with subtitles and training modules that will be organized on a website to facilitate access," said Jamilah Kadir. "We want to develop modules that focus on early childhood and parents' needs," she added.
This visit is expected to be the beginning of various strategic collaborations between SEAMEO SEN and SEAMEO CECCEP to strengthen inclusive education in Southeast Asia. Both parties plan to continue discussions through virtual meetings. "We hope this visit is not the last and that it can contribute to various other programs," concluded Professor Vina.
With this collaboration, SEAMEO SEN and SEAMEO CECCEP are committed to advancing inclusive education across the region, ensuring that all children, including those with special needs, receive a fair and equitable education.
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