ECCE Council

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Entry Point Project (EPP) 1: Ramping Up of Early Child Care and Education was birthed in the NKEA labs held on 1-30 June 2010. EPP1 was identified as one of the 13 initiatives in the education sector capable of generating incremental GNI to bring Malaysia to the developed country status by 2020. By increasing the private sector’s participation in providing child care (which is targetted to increase from current 4% to 25%) and preschool education (enrolment targetted to reach 97%), the incremental GNI contributed by EPP1 by 2020 is expected to be USD1.2 billion.

The Early Child Care and Education Council (ECCE Council) was set up under EPP1 to professionalize the ECCE industry and assure quality control through public-private partnership. Two Boards, namely the Professional Certification Board and the Professional Development Board, were established to assure quality control and professionalize the ECCE industry respectively. The Advocacy Committee was also formed to raise parents’, employers’ and society’s awareness of the importance of quality child care and preschool education. The ECCE Council also serves as a link between the government and the ECCE industry.

On 12 October, several major newspapers in the nation had a full page on early child care and education to raise awareness of the importance of quality ECCE and to promote EPP1 (ramping of early child care and education) as well as to advance the cause of the ECCE Council.