Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization - Regional Center for Early Childhood Care and Education (SEAMEO CECCEP) conducted a short course entitled "Our Happy Neighbourhoods: Building Quality of Early Childhood Care Education based on Children's Rights" on September 5, 2023. This program designed for all early childhood teachers in West Bandung Regency, West Java, Indonesia. This short course was a form of community service from SEAMEO CECCEP for ECE teachers in order to celebrate the 6th SEAMEO CECCEP Anniversary.
This short course also aimed to remind the community of the importance of fulfilling children's rights and providing high-quality education to children from an early age, recognizing children's right to a proper education, and inviting all parties to jointly commit to listening to children's rights voices, and supporting children's development. In addition, it also calls for children's rights related to the right to provision, the right to protection, and the right to participation. Participants also received material on stunting prevention for early childhood.
Prof. Vina Adriany, Director of SEAMEO CECCEP, said, "We are very proud to have reached our 6th milestone this year. Through the short course "Our Happy Neighborhood," we would like to express our appreciation to all those who have supported us in our efforts to improve the quality of early childhood education. We also want to remind the importance of children's rights in early childhood and invite all parties to jointly commit in realizing it. We hope that the teachers who participated in this training can participate in this activity smoothly. "
This event began with Assila Prianggi, M.Pd., M.Ed's presentation on the history of children's rights. She explained about the fulfillment of children's participation rights. The right to child participation is one of the important aspects of children's rights recognized by the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It recognizes that children have the right to speak up, express their opinions and participate in decisions that affect their lives. The right to child participation is important because it gives children a feeling of having control over their lives and allows them to learn skills and experiences that are important for their future. It also promotes democratic values and respect for others' opinions, which are important in an inclusive and just society.
In the second session, Tiara Delia, M.Psi talked about the challenges of implementing Child Rights in ECE Service. She added that the UNCRC as an international document that recognizes children's rights is expected to transform early childhood education and care in ECD settings by increasing access and participation. In line with the SDG's agenda to expand access and participation, entrenched social exclusion must be shifted to inclusive ECD. In the third session, Dwi Anisa Faqumala, M.Pd talked about fulfilling children's rights in the context of marginalized groups. She mentioned that street children who have been considered children with many problems and are synonymous with naughty children, but without realizing it, street children have the concept of playing, working and schooling. So the widest possible access is needed for them.
A Stunting modul was also provided in this activity, considering that stunting is a serious issue in Indonesia and is one of the main challenges in the field of health and human development. Sitti Huzaimah, M.Pd explained several factors that contribute to the prevalence of stunting in Indonesia including malnutrition, limited access to clean water and proper sanitation, and a lack of understanding about a healthy diet and good nutrition. Preventing stunting cases requires cross-sectoral efforts involving the government, communities, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.
SEAMEO CECCEP, has played a pivotal role in the development of early childhood education across the Southeast Asia region since its establishment in 2017. By focusing on empowering young children, SEAMEO CECCEP has been working with various stakeholders, including governments, educational institutions, and non-governmental organizations, to improve the quality of early childhood education across the region.
This event was not only a platform to celebrate SEAMEO CECCEP's 6th anniversary, but also to promote further collaboration in the development of early childhood education especially in West Bandung. With strong passion and deep commitment, SEAMEO CECCEP hopes to continue to be a leader in efforts to advance early childhood education for a brighter future for young children.
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