EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION EQUALS QUALITY HUMAN CAPITAL

KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 (Bernama) -- As early childhood development is the
foundation of quality human capital, it has the highest returns in economic
development, said the Malaysian prime minister's wife.

Rosmah Mansor said it was also the most cost-effective way to reduce
poverty and foster economic growth.

"The children we developed and nurtured today should be capable, not just to
take on the challenges that are familiar to us now, but they must also be
equipped to take on the possible complexities of tomorrow.

"Hence, educating our children correctly is something that we must do, not
just for the benefit of the children but also for the future of our country,"
she said.

Rosmah, who is also National Permata Policy Executive Committee chairman,
was
presenting a paper entitled, 'Developing Human Capital Begins With Children'
at the 14th International Conference on Thinking (ICOT) 2009 at the Kuala Lumpur
Convention Centre here.

She said for Malaysia, the quality of the nation's human capital would be
the most crucial element in the achievement of its stated national aspirations
of becoming a developed nation by 2020.

Rosmah said the Malaysian Government had consistently allocated a
substantial amount of its development budget for the development of education to
ensure the objectives outlined in each of its education plans were fulfilled.

She said it was noted that in 2007, the participation of children aged five
and six years in pre-school education was high, at 67 per cent and was expected
to increase to 80 per cent, by the end of 2010.

"However, the percentage of parents using childcare centre for children aged
four and below is very low. A 2006 survey conducted by the National Family and
Population Board found only 10.6 per cent of parents used childcare centres,
with those at rural areas at only 5.9 per cent," she added.

Rosmah said the objective of the Permata programme was to fill the gap for
development, education and care of children from birth up to the age of five, in
order to provide the continium of care before they entered pre-school and then
into the formal schooling system.

-- BERNAMA