Unicef launches campaign for early childhood development

[Lite Beer]

Unicef launches campaign for early childhood development
KAWIN PRANEETLEKHA
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- UNICEF Thailand launched the "Best Start: The First Six Years of Life are the Golden Years for Children" campaign yesterday to raise awareness about the |importance of early childhood development and to encourage parents to invest more in their young children.

"The first six years of a child's life are critical. This is when the brain develops most rapidly," Valerie Taton, deputy representative for Unicef Thailand, said. "This period provides us with a one-time-only window of opportunity to ensure that a child develops to its fullest potential.

It is during this crucial period that the foundations for lifelong learning and development are laid."

Napat Phisanbut, Unicef Thailand's communication for development officer, said studies had found that only 12 per cent of Thai mothers breastfed their children.

"That is lower than many other countries," Napat said.

Taton went on to say that the "Best Start" campaign would help parents realise the need to develop their young children as well as have the government pay attention to this issue.

"Investment in early childhood is an investment in the future," she added.

The "Best Start" campaign is now calling on people to support the cause by signing a petition at www.beststartthailand.com and on its Facebook page, Beststartthailand, in order to urge the government and other sectors to focus more on young children.

Studies have found that 16 per cent of Thai children are stunted due to the lack of necessary nutrition, while 11 per cent are obese. Also, 25 per cent of three-year-olds in Thailand do not benefit from early education.

Unicef has appointed six celebrities - Yarinda Bunnag, Vanessa "Nudi" Race, Panisara "Opal" Arayaskul, Boyd Kosiyabong, Sarawut Hengsawad aka Roundfinger and Suharit Siamwalla - as campaign ambassadors and they will help raise awareness about the problems facing young children in Thailand today.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Unicef-launches-campaign-for-early-childhood-devel-30253588.html

-- The Nation 2015-02-07

[jaltsc]

"The first six years of a child's life are critical. This is when the brain develops most rapidly..."

And for the remainder of their lives it is the culture which teaches them how they will utilize their developed brains. Unfortunately, a developed brain has very little benefit when it is used to cheat, lie, take advantage of the less fortunate and then maximize its ability to save face in order to cover up for the individuals' indiscretions.

Edited February 7, 2015 by jaltsc

[Caveat Emptor]

"The first six years of a child's life are critical. This is when the brain develops most rapidly,"

Then comes the Thai ' educational system '.

[maidee]

did you ever see a thai initiative to get local people get better ?

or some rich thais that give away big parts of their money to charity ?

[Thaddeus]

Studies have found that 16 per cent of Thai children are stunted due to the lack of necessary nutrition, while 11 per cent are obese. Also, 25 per cent of three-year-olds in Thailand do not benefit from early education.

Most pre-school kids I see are molly-coddled and carried everywhere, especially the boys. So no surprises there.

[robertson468]

did you ever see a thai initiative to get local people get better ?

or some rich thais that give away big parts of their money to charity ?

YES! It is happening on Koh Samui with a combination of Farangs and Thais whose objective is to build a School for Special Needs Children, which at the moment can not be funded by the Government. A Thia Gentleman has donated a rai of land, valued at about 8 million baht and the Thais have now registered a Foundation so that fundraising can start in earnest. "The Friends" of the Special Needs School (the Farang partnership) started the whole project off quite sometime ago and have achieved not only immense support, but a considerable amount of funds to help with the running costs and renovations of the present, somewhat delapadated school.

Sad that so many people on this forum as so negative and ill informed. You need to get out more and find out what is happening around you.

[ianf]

"The first six years of a child's life are critical. This is when the brain develops most rapidly..."

And for the remainder of their lives it is the culture which teaches them how they will utilize their developed brains. Unfortunately, a developed brain has very little benefit when it is used to cheat, lie, take advantage of the less fortunate and then maximize its ability to save face in order to cover up for the individuals' indiscretions.

Well Jaitsc you are not far off the mark. Early Childhood Development is very important but what UNICEF seem to fail to understand is that such development must take place in a cultural context. In Thailand, the existing mass culture is against any form of purposeful development which would take those children beyond the cultural norms that they will experience from the day they are born. Fr example, the hierarchical nature of society, within families, schools, universities and employment mitigates against any form of questioning, reasoning and creativity. You can see this every day. For example if a teacher tells something to a class of children that is clearly incorrect no one will question it; If a manager gets something wrong in business and the employee knows it - there is not way that the manager will be questioned. Loss of face is stifling any form of development. It all sounds very worthy UNICEF but in reality it is a total waste of time and resources.

[bikerbri]

There is an urgent need for them to look at later childhood development as well.