Action Aid has stressed the need to increase efforts in sensitizing guardians on the importance of sending their children to Community Based Child Care Centers (CBCC) as one way of improving the country’s education standard

Nsanje Action Aid Early Childhood Development Project Officer Fred Likhutcha admitted that not much is being done to ensure that parents change their attitude towards education as evidenced by high school dropouts country wide.

Likhutcha cited Nsanje District where some parents’ lack of interest to send their children to Community Based Child Care Centers (CBCC).

“Most of the interventions are targeting children not parents or guardians. For instance as Action Aid, we have been promoting Early Childhood Development by providing good structures to the community so that children should have a good learning environment.

“Though we have tried to do so, parents are failing to send their children to these CBCCs. We have 33 centres in Nsanje. Each centre is supposed to accommodate a minimum of 200 children but this is not the case on the ground,” he said.

He said it is high time stakeholders working towards promotion of education especially Early Childhood Development should consider reaching out to guardians with information on the benefits of education.

“As Action Aid, we are sure that if parents understand the benefits of education, they will have interest to send their children.

This is why we have started a program called Parenting Education and Support to ensure that parents and guardians are fully involved to reverse the trend,” said Nsanje Action Aid Early Childhood Development Project Officer.