ECE Mumbai Launch

Launch of the three-year Early Childhood Education (ECE) Curriculum Enhancement and Pedagogy Project, a collaborative Singapore-India effort to increase the quality of early childhood education in Mumbai. From left to right: guests Ms Vinita Ved Singal, Principal Secretary Women & Child Development Department, Mrs Elizabeth Mehta, Founder-Muktangan, Mr Nand Kumar, Principal Secretary, School Education & Sports Department, Ms Juthika Ramanathan, Governor, SIF, Ms Jean Tan, Executive Director, SIF and Ms Ms Kannigadevi Narayanasamy, Singapore International Volunteer (SIV) Team Leader.

Ms Juthika Ramanathan, Governor, SIF (right) being presented a welcome bouquet by Ms Dymphena Dias, Leader, Programme Sustainability, Muktangan at the launch of the ECE Curriculum Enhancement and Pedagogy Project.

In her opening remarks at the launch ceremony, Ms Juthika Ramanathan, Governor, SIF said both Singapore and India share a collective goal in ensuring access to quality formative education and skills for their children. She added that this mutual aim formed the bedrock for the partnership between the SIF and Muktangan, and will support cross-learning.

Mr Nand Kumar, chief guest at the ECE Curriculum Enhancement and Pedagogy Project launch ceremony, shared that this partnership opportunity would provide a good foundation for children in India to get a better education. To the 90 ECE practitioners present at the launch ceremony, he also high quality training being offered by Singapore, he expressed his hopes of being able to develop the anganwadi (rural child care centres) early childhood education teachers.

Ms Jean Tan, Executive Director, SIF (left) and Mrs Elizabeth Mehta, Founder, Muktangan exchanging mementos to mark the beginning of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Curriculum Enhancement and Pedagogy Project. Mrs Mehta shared, “I am very impressed with the Singapore volunteers, the capacity to listen, the empathy, the understanding of what we are trying to do; and the patient listening to contextualise what we are saying.”

The SIF reaches another milestone in its 22 year friendship with India with the launch of the ECE Curriculum Enhancement and Pedagogy Project.

Ms Geraldine Teo Swee Imm (right), one of the four SIVs who had flown to Mumbai for the management workshop after the launch of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Curriculum Enhancement and Pedagogy Project, sharing a light moment with Ms Dymphena Dias, Leader - Programme Sustainability, Muktangan.

Mr AjithSingh (right), Consul General, Consulate-General of the Republic of Singapore in Mumbai in a discussion with Ms Payal Maheshwari, Partnerships & Placements, Muktangan at the launch of the ECE Curriculum Enhancement & Pedagogy Project in Mumbai. The three-year collaboration between the SIF and Muktangan brings together ECE practitioners from Singapore and India to share knowledge and resources, potentially benefiting up to 240 early childhood educators and 2400 underprivileged children in Mumbai.