MSU holds early childhood week
CHILDREN are our future and priority should be given to providing quality early childhood care and education.
WIth this in mind, the National Early Childhood and Care Education (ECCE) Week 2018 was held with the theme “Bringing Out The Scientist In Young Children.”
Management and Science University (MSU) School of Education And Social Sciences organised the MSU Children’s Festival Day 2018 last week to support the ECCE initiative.
National ECCE Council president Datuk Dr Chiam Heng Keng said the National ECCE Week is celebrated to honour the importance of the first five years of a child’s life.
She addded that young children can be described as scientists as they are naturally curious.
This was the basis of this year’s theme “Bringing Out The Scientists in Young Children.”
Her speech text was read by council vice president Azmil Khuzaid Zakaria.
“Parents and early childhood educators should provide safe, stimulating environments for children to explore and interact in,” she added.
MSU held various activities throughout the week including the “Young Scientist Fashion Show” and “Young Scientist Volcano Experiment Competition” with children from various preschools.
During the closing ceremony, Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Hannah Yeoh asked that ECCE students work together with the ministry to cultivate and nurture the industry.
“Early childhood is not just an industry, it is a calling because we are dealing with vulnerable and fragile young lives,” she added.
She stressed that aspiring ECCE educators should not see it as a job that they hold for just a few years, but something they will pursue passionately as a career.
Yeoh said: “We need to ensure for you (students) especially, when you serve as a caregiver and an educator, it will be something rewarding for you professionally and financially.”
At the same event, MSU president Prof Tan Sri Dr Mohd Shukri Ab Yajid said ECCE is a concern for everyone as young children make up 27% of the world population.
He added that the university prioritises ECCE as they have a childcare centre on their campus to cater to their staff who are also parents.
Prof Mohd Shukri said the centre, now known as MSU Kids, is also where ECCE students do their internships.
MSU School of Education and Social Sciences dean Prof Datin Dr Norhisham Mohamad was also present.
Meanwhile, MSU has been awarded four new recognitions by the Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges and Universities (ASIC).
The Outstanding Leadership in International Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Education was awarded to Prof Mohd Shukri.
The new ASIC recognitions provides the university with ASIQUAL Validated Award Centre Status for the provision of ASIQUAL Validated Programmes, as well as Recognised Centre Status with ASIQUAL for the provision of ASIQUAL Qualifications.
Presenting the recognitions to MSU at the university’s main campus in Shah Alam, was ASIC chairman Dr Maurice K. Dimmock, who recounted his own personal experience of TVET in the context of a post-high-school apprenticeship at an Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) plant in the UK.
He did well in his Ordinary National Certificate and later in his Higher National Certificate because he could correspond the work he did with the theoretical material he was taught.
“Experiential learning is the best kind of learning because one can immediately relate theory to practice. “You see everything you do in TVET become relevant on the job,” he added.
In 2017, MSU received the ASIC
awards of Excellence in Quality International Education and Outstanding Contribution to International Education.
Prof Mohd Shukri said industry-embedded programmes have always been the MSU DNA in building work-ready and well-rounded graduates.
“The TVET recognitions are time-
ly as MSU moves into its third phase of growth towards greater TVET content across all its academic programmes,” he said.
With the MSU graduate employability at 98.6%, Dr Dimmock said MSU is a model TVET institution with exemplary and outstanding leadership in incorporating TVET into mainstream higher education.