KINGSTON, Jamaica — Chief executive officer (CEO) and deputy chair of The Jamaica National Group, Earl Jarrett stressed that the positive return on investment in early childhood education is undeniable, especially as the most critical years for brain and social development occur before age five.

He also urged employers to support maternal health by ensuring mothers can attend prenatal clinics.

The colloquium also commemorated the work of Dudley Grant, born 110 years ago and widely regarded as the father of early childhood education in Jamaica. The late educator’s philosophy, emphasising play-based learning and the creative use of low-cost materials, continues to shape teaching methods today.

Jarrett highlighted Grant’s “trashables to teachables” approach, his partnerships with the business community and academia, and his influence on policy and international practice.

“He was like an apostle who gathered like-minded persons around him,” he said. “He was a true father of the movement.”

The colloquium saw participants exploring strategies to strengthen early childhood systems across the region. Topics include the development of an effective early childhood policy, the impact of technology on young minds, and ways to build resilience in the sector.

“The outcome of these discussions should help to reaffirm or reframe thoughts and attitudes toward our young children,” Jarrett said.

“Providing an enduring early childhood educational framework will lay the foundation for building a strong literate and caring society.”

He said as Jamaica faces one of its most challenging periods in recent history, the protection and preparation of young children who are the present value of the future wealth of a nation, must remain at the heart of national recovery.

“Jamaica will need the necessary human capacity for the next 30 years,” he stressed. “We must begin by safeguarding the youngest among us today.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon, urged early childhood educators and sector partners to adopt a culture of preparedness and resilience, stressing that the lessons from Hurricane Melissa must reshape how Jamaica protects its youngest learners.

Senator Morris Dixon revealed that the ministry is working closely with the Office of Disaster Preparedness Emergency Management (ODPEM) and partners to develop updated emergency preparedness guidelines tailored specifically for early childhood institutions.

“We’re going to have to prepare better than we did,” she said. “There were so many schools that I’ve been to, and we had just put in computer labs, all the computers were wet, damaged, and destroyed. Even how we prepare for hurricanes or any disaster is really very important.”

She announced that the ministry is exploring changes to teacher- training programmes to integrate disaster risk reduction content, including making crisis management a compulsory course for pre-service teachers.

The minister stressed that preparedness should not be confined to annual workshops or drills.

“We need to live and breathe preparedness… It must become a way of thinking and operating,” she emphasised.