Confab on early childhood intervention, special needs education in September

MIRI: The 8th National Early Childhood Intervention Conference organised by National Early Childhood Intervention Council (NECIC) is set to take place Sept 3 to 5 at Imperial Hotel here.

Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Well-being Development Dato’ Sri Fatimah Abdullah is expected to officiate at the opening ceremony, said its organising chairperson Liza Chai at a press conference here on Wednesday.

The theme for this year’s convention is ‘Empower, Equip, Expand’ and will feature talks on early childhood intervention and special needs education by recognised professionals from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands and the United States.

According to Chai, NECIC was set up in 2011 to advocate for early childhood intervention matters arising from the conference and to provide a voice on current issues.

“Held biennially, it is an especially major event in Malaysia for special needs children; linking health, education, and social welfare professionals with parents. It is also a unique opportunity for policymakers to engage parents and professionals in interactive sessions,” said Chai.

She pointed out that NECIC has formed active partnerships with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef), the Ministry of Health, government departments and other nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) in driving agenda on early childhood interventions and development.

“In addition to the keynote, lectures and training workshops, there will also be a parents’ dialogue session to discuss lessons learned from the two years of the Covid-19 pandemic and the journey of being empowered to advocate for children.

“We hope these workshops will allow parents, early childhood intervention workers, NGOs, professionals and policymakers to learn and gain new insights as we move forward,” said Chai.

Among the co-organisers for the event are MRC Sunflower Centre, Persatuan Ibu Bapa Kanak-Kanak Istimewa Miri (Pibakis), Malaysia Care (Miri), Association for Children with Special Needs (Sibu), University of Technology Sarawak, Sarawak Convention Bureau and Business Events Sarawak.

The 8th National Early Childhood Intervention Conference is still open for registration. For more information, log on to http://www.necic2020.cf/http://www.necic2020.cf/ or email necic2020@gmail.comnecic2020@gmail.com or call 085-420722.