Less than 5% of Emirati children attend pre-school

90% of nursery users in Dubai are non-national children

"Early childhood care especially during the first five years is a critical period in the human development cycle, in relation to physical, cognitive, language, social and emotional development. These years influence behaviour, health and learning traits that can last a lifetime..." Badr Al-Olama

Dubai, UAE May 16 2012: The first five years are crucial learning years for the nation's children, according to Badr Al-Olama, chairman of Bidayaat, the newly-launched Childcare Development Company.

"Research shows that the formative pre-school years are the most important stage of a child's emotional and social development.''

"However, although the significance of early childcare development is powerful, a large percentage of Emirati children under-five years of age still do not have exposure to professional early years' education," he said.

Indeed, figures suggest that this is a regional trend, with less than five per cent of local children attending pre-school in many neighbouring countries.

Al-Olama said that it has been proven that student performance at school and throughout life can be greatly enhanced by a positive learning experience during the early years.

"Of course, every stage of education is important but it is the early years where learning has been found to have a life-long influence.''

He noted that the most effective early years' curriculum is one that guides competence in social interaction, communication skills, as well as general learning, adding that this combination encourages children to demonstrate resourcefulness, curiosity, imagination and innovativeness.

"Emirati children also deserve the advantage of a structured early learning years' experience. This includes easier integration into school, as well as an openness to learning known to last a lifetime.

"Of course, as more and more children are offered a professional pre-school experience this will have a positive, long-term effect on the economy as a whole," Al-Olama concluded.

Sources:

Bennett Report (2009) Early Childhood and Education Services in Dubai, Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai

Early child Development in the Middle East and North Africa (WorldBank.org)

About Bidayaat
UAE-based Bidayaat is a childcare development company offering hands-on specialist management support to organisations, parents and pre-school educators engaged in the early education and holistic well-being of children.

Bidayaat, which means beginnings in Arabic, fuses leading-edge curricula, age-appropriate learning methodologies, a skilled specialist teaching-consultancy team and premium partners, alongside active community participation.

The company is the region's first private sector initiative that is childcare-centric, developing a range of sectors including pre-schools, training, healthcare and edutainment. Indeed, The Kensington Nursery (in Umm Al Sequim and Dubai Silicon Oasis) is a testament to Bidayaat's approach to childcare in the early learning years, as well as its passion to help energise vital life skills that generate cohesion for families of all nationalities in the UAE.

Bidayaat is committed to building stronger communities through the nurturing of responsible global citizens in line with the UAE's Vision 2021 - a national strategic initiative that aims to develop a cohesive, sustainable and prosperous society.

For media enquiries, contact: Susan Furness on +97150 6556126, susan@strategicsolutionsonline.com

Bidayaat's chairman, Emirati Badr Al-Olama said that many of the UAE's under-fives do not have exposure to professional early years' education.

© Press Release 2012