Miscellaneous
ECDC necessary in every locality: Minister Koirala
Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Asha Koirala has called for establishing the Early Childhood Development Centre (ECDC) in every tole (locality) to help increase investment in the early childhood development (ECD).Rastriya Samachar Samiti
Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Asha Koirala has called for establishing the Early Childhood Development Centre (ECDC) in every tole (locality) to help increase investment in the early childhood development (ECD).
At a programme organised by a caucus of parliamentarians for the ECD and Seto Gurans National Childhood Service in the Capital on Wednesday, Minister Koirala laid stress on the need to expand the ECD’s by determining parent’s role and responsibilities. Currently 30,338 ECDCs are being run at the community level, while 5,645 such centres are being operated by the private sector in across the country.
Caucus members Rukmini Chaudhari, Ofilal Ofeda and Kunti Kumari Shahi and former parliamentarians Sita Poudel among others said that the government must make it clear which government body is responsible for ensuring education, nutrition and health to children.
The Constitution of Nepal has incorporated child rights as the fundamental right.
Caucus members also underscored the need to increase investment for childhood development.
Healthy early child development (ECD)-which includes the physical, social/emotional, and language/cognitive domains of development, each equally important-strongly influences well-being, obesity/stunting, mental health, heart disease, competence in literacy and numeracy, criminality and economic participation throughout life, according to the World Health Organisation. “What happens to the child in the early years is critical for the child’s developmental trajectory and lifecourse,” it says.