Shillong, Sept 05: The first ever ‘Play to Learn’ Summit was successfully organized in Shillong on Tuesday, highlighting the crucial role of play in young children’s overall development. The Summit was presented by Government of Meghalaya, Meghalaya Early Childhood Development Mission (MECDM), Meghalaya Health Systems Strengthening Project (MHSSP), State Capability Enhancement Project (SCEP) in collaboration with Sesame Workshop India Trust funded by SBI Foundation, along with the Indian Institute of Banking & Finance.

Speaking as the Guest of Honour at the occasion, Meghalaya Social Welfare Minister, Paul Lyngdoh, said, “Our kids today face a unique set of challenges that are different from the ones that the kids in the previous generation faced. It is our endeavor to be able to take initiatives aimed at optimizing the potential of our children. For this, we need to keep re-envisioning where we want to see Meghalaya in the next 50 years”. He added that Meghalaya has been the birthplace of various luminaries such as Author Arundhati Roy and John Shepherd Barron, the founder of the ATM, among others.

He also lauded Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, and the Principal Secretary and CEO of Meghalaya Early Childhood Development Mission, Sampath Kumar, for initiating visionary reforms and implementing a mission of this caliber. He initiated a call to action for all residents of the State and said that we all should rededicate ourselves to the vision of the State, adding that, “Time is of great essence, and the time to act is today”. The Minister went on to state that Meghalaya’s Early Childhood Development Mission is an initiative that has put the State at the forefront in the National map. He added that as implementers of this unique mission, we are missionaries and we should take care not to become mercenaries in the long run.

Meghalaya’s Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma also virtually addressed the audience at the summit. In his virtual video, he congratulated all the departments and stakeholders for hosting Meghalaya’s first ever Play to Learn Summit. He emphasized on the importance of play-based and activity-based learning and added that the State Government is aiming to promote this through the Summit.

Emphasizing on the importance of the play to learn summit as an integral part of the Meghalaya Early Childhood Development mission (MECDM), Principal Secretary & Development Commissioner- Social Welfare Department & CEO-MECDM, Sampath Kumar, said that we can achieve our economic potential if every child of this state has the opportunity to flourish physically, mentally, socially, and to receive the support needed for a strong education, and meaningful employment. He added that Human development is not only the cornerstone for economic success, but it is also the foundation of our people’s welfare and happiness.

In a presentation titled, “Early Childhood Development Mission to transform Meghalaya’s Economy”, the Principal Secretary & CEO-MECDM stated that Meghalaya is reimagining the approach to early childhood. He added that the more we invest in early ages, the more we gain in later years. He also explained in detail Meghalaya’s Human Development-Based Growth Model. He also informed that Meghalaya’s ECD landscape is a three fold approach focusing on: 1) Family and Home, 2) Early Childhood Development at the Centre, and 3) Community. He further stated that Meghalaya is moving from a Conventional Approach of learning to a Science Based Approach- And as part of this, the Play to Learn Summit holds immense significance.

Secretary of Meghalaya Health & Family Welfare Dept and Project Director- MHSSP, Ram Kumar, expressed his happiness for having this programme on the occasion of Teacher’s Day. He stated that learning and education are evolving concepts and there is no one method for the same. It is important to find the best way to adapt to each person’s capabilities. Learning by doing has existed in various civilisations, including India for a very long time, and this is not a new concept. He encouraged the parents to give the right direction to their children, and added that this will go a long way in developing the cognitive abilities of a child. He added that every lost opportunity to groom and teach a child is a great disservice to humanity. In this context, he emphasized on the EDC mission and making learning a fun activity, while adding that this has the potential to transform the whole society.

In her welcome address, Sonali Khan, Managing Trustee, Sesame Workshop India Trust asserted the importance of play in the life of every child. She said that children today are growing in an extremely fast paced and dynamic environment, and they can be considered as a first generation ‘Digital Natives’. It is the need of the hour to build the child in a manner so that they will be able to cope with the dynamic world. She added that Early Childhood Development can be a game changer, as it will define how the children will cope, think of the future and thrive well. She emphasized on the role of community in investing in ECD, especially for building the social and economic well being in a child. She termed Meghalaya’s ECD mission as a pioneer intervention, and a cornerstone of how the State’s children are aided in building and growing up into holistically healthy citizens in future.

It may be recalled that Meghalaya is rolling out the Meghalaya Early Childhood Development Mission (MECDM), which is the first of its kind initiative in the country. The main goal of the mission is to maximize the lifelong potential of children by providing the key development support required in the critical “early years”: from conception to eight years of age. The expected beneficiaries of the mission are caregivers, children between the ages of 0-8 years (including those with disabilities), pregnant women and lactating mothers. The Mission will convert all Anganwadi Centers into ECD Centres to provide comprehensive support to children, including nutrition, cognitive development, socio-emotional learning, and the foundational development they will need to succeed later in school and in life. Additionally, there is a significant focus on community-based and home-based ECD activities. For instance, women’s self-help groups and father’s circles will receive training so that they can act as support groups to caregivers and can coach caregivers on simple activities they can do at home to promote the cognitive development and overall well being of their children.

The Play to Learn Summit witnessed two panel discussions on the following themes: “Why Playful learning needs more attention in early childhood development” and “What are the ingredients of playful caregiving?”

The summit also witnessed a story telling session in Khasi by a local YouTuber ‘Code Freeman’ aka Ferdinand Ranee.

The summit highlighted the importance of integrating local culture and folklore practices to develop contextualized teaching and learning materials for ECCE as aligned with the National Curriculum Framework (NCF, Oct 2022) and New Education Policy 2020. Discussions explored evidence-based initiatives to enhance children’s skills, the role of community engagement in culturally tailored play-oriented education, and the value of research in play-focused approaches. The summit showcased the work of ECD Mission, and the contribution of vital partners such as Sesame Workshop India in connecting play-based learning with the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) and NEP 2020. Caregivers were also highlighted for their crucial role in supporting children’s play by creating a safe and playful environment, providing easily available materials and fostering independent and creative play.

Also Read: Teachers Day 2023: Conrad salutes the service, dedication and contributions of teachers

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