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Successful academic performance by a child hinges on the parent’s skill to prepare the child for school

Ulaanbaatar, 20 January 2010 – The knowledge and experience of parents and other members of the family are critical in supporting early-childhood development. Proceeding from this premise, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (MECS) and UNICEF have developed the second in the series on toolkit for parents to support family-based childhood development in video format which is launched today. This toolkit contains tips that will help family members support physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development of children 4-6 years of age. Part 1 of the family-based early childhood development toolkit contains a set of tips for parents on supporting the growth and development of children 0-3 years which was distributed to families and parents in remote rural areas in 2009.
Parents and guardians, through this family-based early childhood development toolkit, will be able to help improve their skill to become active advocates of early childhood development, combine traditional processes and values of bringing up a child with the “best” and constructive present-day methodology, and help a child to be an active learner of the surrounding environment through evolving initiative and actions. In this way, parents will no longer remain a passive beneficiary of family-based training of a child for school, but, on the contrary, become active participants in the very process of early childhood development programme. The toolkit is intended to give systematic information on a child’s physical and mental growth not only to parents but also to teachers andeducators, guardians and health workers.

“Family-based development of children aged 4-6 years is extremely important because a child will enter school at the age of 6. Children who are not prepared well for schooling but are admitted are vulnerable to become low achievers in learning, repeaters and even face the risk of becoming dropouts” emphasized Rana Flowers, UNICEF Representative, in her opening remark. The rate of school dropouts and repeaters is particularly high starting grade one and what is more, this is the age which determines the kind of student the child is going to grow up to be. It has been established that a child who has done well in grade one will unquestionably do well in upper classes and adapt to the school life well.

“MECS and UNICEF are also engaged in organizing a series of training to help contribute to the knowledge and experience of parents and guardians with regard to preparing children for school” said. However, there is a growing need to make continued effort to change the tendency of parents to entrust the growth and development of their children entirely on schools and also staking entirely on agencies providing services to children.
4,500 of the 5,000 copies of part 2 of the toolkit costing MNT 21.8 million (USD15, 200) will be distributed to the rural areas.
The launching of the second in the series in family-based early childhood development toolkit for parents was held at the MECS. The
toolkit launching was attended by officials from Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, representatives from National Authority for Children, Institute of Education, Pre-school Education, City Education Board and Early Childhood Development specialists.