The contemporary trend in
education and learning put greater stress on early stimulation and interaction
for building brains. Most people especially educators, teachers and parents have
limited knowledge to understand the significance of early childhood stimulation.
Building brain is the most important and challenging element from conception to
the start of school. It helps to open a critical window of opportunity by
shaping the underlying factors in a child’s brain development. It requires
positive response and interactive stimulation from adults to expand children’s
brain.
During early stage, the brain of a child rapidly grows, and brain neurons
connect in an unprecedented scale resulting in children’s cogitative emotional
and social development. The more a child is exposed to opportunities in a caring
environment, with supportive response and encouragement from adults, the more it
enhances the child’s brain capacity to learn, to solve problems and to relate to
other. This, in turn, has a significant impact on their adult lives, positively
influencing their ability to earn livelihood and contribute to the society and
bring optimum satisfaction and pleasure to their lives. For the teeming millions
of the world’s disadvantaged children, this vital window of opportunity is
gravely missed. The issue is that we do not provide children with a facilitative
and supportive environment at home and school. To do so we require to clearly
understand what children have in their brains. Unluckily, we fail to note that
development of a children’s brain is equally important as development of their
bodies. This implies what we contribute to properly groom of children can have
significant impacts on their subsequent lives and wider welfare of the society
in the future.
Early investments pay more than we think. A study of UNICEF reveals that ‘the
investment can pay financial dividends in individual earnings of up to 25
percent. For governments the return on investment can be more than 13 percent’.
A complete care and well-nourished food with loving and protective environment a
fair change to grow thrive and develop a child’s full potential with better
health and more education. This supportive environment and early education
opportunities prepare more peaceful mind with positive stimulation equipping
individuals with knowledge and skills towards prosperity thus preparing children
for their future and for of the generation that follows.
Considering three essential ingredients bring positive child development which
are; nutrition, health and protection. Unfortunately, underdeveloped countries
miss these essentialities put children in developmental delays and bring poverty
with low socio-economic conditions and poverty in families and country. In
Pakistan above 40% children are stunted and malnourished. A research on ECD in
Pakistan y Arshad and Zamir, 2018 highlights that, currently, our community and
schools lack the ability to plan, implement and supervise ECE programs, and this
is because of poverty and lack of access to basic social services. Poverty is
the biggest obstacle in addressing the requirements of children and protecting
and promoting children’s rights, including education (Ahmad, 2011).
Considering these mentioned issues now there has been a growing stress on ECD to
work on through developing strategic plans at field level and expand access to
effective and essential early childhood development services in homes, schools,
communities and health clinics. Government and their partners can integrate
early childhood interventions into existing practices such as health and
educational protects and reach more children and families in communities. These
programs should be cost-effective by using local available human resources and
services. One of such programs can be a health and nutrition program in which
‘Child and Mother Health Screening Program’ should be carried out along with
local health institutions within communities collectively. Likewise, Parenting
Education Programs such as counselling for new parents and mothers on childcare,
breastfeeding, guidance on nutrition and baby-mother health should be carried
out in underdeveloped communities. Lady health workers ’ services should be
expanded in communities on regularly basis to educate parents on effective
services such as antenatal care etc.