The importance of investment in the education of the youngest generations was the central message sent at the workshop launching the support that the UK is providing to UNICEF’s work in Macedonia in the next two years.
Our Deputy Ambassador Dominic Otway spoke at the official opening of the workshop alongside the Minister of Labour and Social Policy Mila Carovska, Minister of Education and Science Arber Ademi and UNICEF Representative Benjamin Perks.
During the workshop, employees from the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Ministry of Education and Science, World Bank, European Delegation, Bureau for Development of Education, Teacher Training Faculties, municipalities, practitioners from kindergartens and civil society organisations worked to establish common framework to defining pre-school teachers competencies and professional values, as well as the needed future professional developments for improved competencies of the pre-school teachers.
Speaking at the official opening of the workshop, our Deputy Ambassador Otway said:
Promoting, broadening, and raising the standards of education is a core priority for all countries. World leaders are still united behind the sustainable development goal that “by 2030 all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes”. It is essential that children arrive at school with the right mindset and resources to enable them to get the best out of their education.
A better early childhood education leads to better school performance, and after a generation, increased stability and prosperity. That needs to be underpinned by fairness and the right laws.
That’s why the UK is proud to stand alongside the Macedonian Ministry of Education and Science and Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, and the rest of government, in this area.
The workshop is part of the two year programme assistance that the UK Government is providing to UNICEF to improve access to quality inclusive early childhood education, as part of the project Foundations for the Future – Conflict Prevention through Social Inclusion and Diversity. The goal is to promote inclusive character education that instils values, trust, tolerance and respect for others. The programme is implemented in the period August 2018 – August 2020 at the cost of £ 1,383,615.
The British Embassy Skopje works with Macedonia on various programmes ranging from reforms in public administration and judiciary, efficiency of Parliament, transparency and accountability of institutions, inclusion and diversity, strengthening civil society and media. You can find more information about our programme work here.
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Source: UK & Macedonia