DEEPENING OUR SHARED COMMITMENT TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Early childhood education has the potential to be transformative for communities . Not only can these programs improve school readiness among children and boost social-emotional skills , they also have the potential to close social mobility and achievement gaps . In very low-income communities where families may already be strapped for time and resources , these interventions are critical for community development and supporting a new generation of engaged and capable leaders , workers , and families .
The impact is not only borne out in study after study from different parts of the world but also demonstrated in the demand among families . 2 Parents and caregivers like Zaheera benefit from high-quality early childhood education both in terms of their child ’ s development and their ability to invest in other areas such as work , homemaking , community involvement , and respite from the demands of caring for small children .
THE ROLE OF TEACHERS
Teachers like Muhammad Tahir are invaluable in not only providing quality education to these children but also in their efforts to change attitudes in their communities . In a small town in the Diamer Valley , Muhammad has had to navigate conservative beliefs about girls ’ education , gently changing minds along the way .
With no other schools nearby , Muhammad had to forge his own way . With the help of CAI and our local partner , the Moawin Foundation , he was able to identify a building to house his small school . Starting with just a few students , demand for Muhammad ’ s school quickly grew as parents saw the positive impact on local children .
“ Chilas is a conservative area , where parents were initially hesitant to send their daughters to school ,” he said . “ As they observed my efforts and the impact on children , they started sending more girls to the school . I am hopeful that this school will make a significant impact on the lives of children in the community .”
Muhammad is one of 695 teachers supported and trained by Central Asia Institute . Of these , 57 are specifically trained in early childhood education . For CAI , the commitment to early childhood education grew out of attention to educational research , as well as the demand of our communities .
16 | 2023-2024 JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE