KINGSTON, Jamaica — Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator Ruel Reid, says the “early childhood education sector is much healthier than it was two and half years ago”.

“The revitalisation of our Early Stimulation Programme through partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders is positively impacting our targeted population. More of our stakeholders understand the importance of the first 1000 days of a child’s life,” the minister disclosed.

He was delivering remarks at the official handing over ceremony of the newly completed Jamaica- China Goodwill Infant Schools in West Central St Andrew yesterday.

The minister noted that local developments in early childhood have been positively recognised in a report by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as an example for the Caribbean region.

He said Jamaica and Barbados have been ranked “at the top of the 58 low and middle income countries in Latin America and the Caribbean with the greatest access to education programmes for infants.”

“The IDB noted the fact that Jamaica implemented and conducted the first long-term experimental evaluation of an early childhood development programme in a developing country,” he said.

A second Jamaica-China Goodwill Infant School has been opened in Eastern St Thomas. The schools, which were built under a cooperation agreement between Jamaica and China, can each accommodate 180 students.

Facilities include classrooms, playing rooms, auxiliary areas, outdoor corridors, playground, among other things.

For his part, Chinese Ambassador to Jamaica, Tian Qi said the opening of both schools stands as a shining example of “fraternity and friendship” between the two countries.

He emphasised the importance of early childhood education noting that the “attitudes, emotions and pattern of behaviour towards the society are formed during this stage”.

“It plays an important role in the improvements in integrity, character and life quality and even lifelong sustainable development…children are the future of the society,” he noted.

Chairman from the National Education Trust, Matthew Samuda and Member of Parliament for Eastern St Thomas, Dr Fenton Ferguson, delivered remarks during the ceremony.