Early education policy for kids

An education policy for children between the ages of 1 and 4 is in the pipeline.

The National Early Childhood Care and Education Policy will be presented to the cabinet soon before being rolled out for implementation.Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the policy would be implemented at government kindergartens and nurseries for children under 4 years old.He said the policy would help optimise early education for children besides complementing the National Education Policy."The National Early Childhood Care and Education Policy is a comprehensive policy that will ensure holistic development from the time a child is born until he is 4.

"It will be the foundation of co-curricular activities for the development of children that is based on the Malaysian mould and serves as a yardstick for the National Education Policy," Najib said after chairing the National Permata Policy meeting yesterday.

Present was his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, who is National Permata Policy Executive Committee chairman.In a Permata pilot project earlier this year, more than 300 children at 13 centres nationwide had shown improvement in knowledge and skills.

The meeting yesterday also decided that Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia would organise camps for gifted children prior to their absorption into the national education system.

"We hope the camps can serve as the first step towards the establishment of special programmes for gifted children that would help them adapt to the education system," Najib said.

The programme, initiated by Rosmah, is aimed at maximising the potential of gifted children through holistic education methods.