Child Stimulation Month Kicks Off with Grand Parade
Every year we cover activities relating to Child Stimulation Month. The entire month of March is dedicated to highlighting the importance of early childhood education. This morning, four thousand children from all over the country and up to eight years of age, which is a critical period for growth and development, paraded from Memorial Park to the Constitution Park. They were all dressed in costumes and were joined by their parents. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
Activities for the annual Child Stimulation Month began today with a massive costume parade through the streets of Belize City. Kindergarten and primary schools from across the country gathered at the Memorial Park this morning where a brief opening ceremony was held, followed by a celebratory procession to Rogers Stadium.
Darlene Lozano, Education Officer, Belize District
Darlene Lozano
“It’s where we celebrate children from zero to eight years old. We started with our ecumenical service on Sunday at Mount Zion Adventist and today we have our opening ceremony and parade. In our parade, we have four thousand persons registered, including parents and students.”
Child Stimulation Month is commemorated in March, with various activities being held throughout the next four weeks. Minister of Education Patrick Faber delivered the main address and later emphasized the significance of a strong start as part of the early childhood development process.
Patrick Faber
Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
“It is important for our children to get a strong start and that is what this entire month is about, saying to the entire nation of Belize and in fact the world that our children need that strong start, that strong foundation and let us do all that we can to support them.”
According to Darlene Lozano, education officer for Belize District, participants in the yearly event are classified by subjects.
Darlene Lozano
“Each of the schools, they are representing a particular theme which is in the curriculum. There are twenty themes in the curriculum and so we group them based on the themes and they display a costume for that particular theme. So we parade through the [streets] from Memorial Park to Constitution Park and after that it’s dismissal. But it is for us to spread an awareness on the content that is taught in the preschool. It is an awareness for parents to sent their children to preschool because early childhood education is the foundation for successful learning.”
Patrick Faber
“It is really to sensitize people that this is important. The preschools and the parents and the school communities do their activities, but the ministry’s role is really to support in highlighting the fact that this is so very important for all of us. That is the role we play.”
Isani Cayetano
“And undoubtedly, this factors into early childhood development as well, an activity such as this where you have children engaged. Talk to us about that aspect.”
Patrick Faber
“Early childhood development for us is not only pre-school. In fact, as I have often said, it is something that we should do from the womb, from before the children are born and in fact once they are born we should start encouraging their development. This can be done in several ways, our theme for this Child Stimulation Month in fact suggests some ways that we could do that. Hugging your child, you know, reading for your child, listening to your child. These are all ways that we can help our children grow. So this is top for us.”
Isani Cayetano reporting for News Five.
