And while all those messages talk about the trauma children endure in a hyper-violent society, today the message was about getting children to start life on the right foot.
"Birth To Eight: Children Must Play" that is the theme for Children Stimulation Month this March. Today the ceremonies kicked off with a massive parade filled with kids, teachers, and parents. Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber told us more about what the month is all about.
Hon Patrick Faber - Deputy Prime Minister/ Minister of Education
"It is just to sensitize. We really should be stimulating children all year round but it is just sensitized about the need to do this. It is encouraging children from birth up to 8 years old to move, believe in themselves, understand that this is a very important developmental stage. While the theme suggests that children must play we want to encourage a lot of learning during this period. Children are very malleable and they can learn a whole lot in this very early stage, We can interpret that as oh we won't push our children and get them to learn because they are at a stage where they are like sponges and can take in much more than we can as adults. While we encourage play as an important part of development we also encourage a lot of hard work at this very early stage."
"We have set aside the month of March to highlight that this should be happening but really the ideal thing is for stimulating to be happening all year round. By that we mean engaging. In my presentation this morning I took off my serious role and I made silly. I sang and I danced for the children. That is what should be happening in our preschools, infant schools, and even in the homes. Parents should be reading on a daily basis for the children. they should be singing, dancing, sending quality time. They should be treating children as if they are the most important resource because really they are. What we do with them today is going to determine what we do with them tomorrow."
Different activities will be happening through the month.
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