Duchess of Cambridge uses Royal tour to highlight importance of ECEC

The Duchess of Cambridge has used the Platinum Jubilee Tour to place the work of The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood on the international stage, highlighting Jamaica’s progress in working with children in the earliest years of life. 

On their second day in Jamaica, The Duke and Duchess visited Shortwood Teachers College in Jamaica to meet students who are training to become early childhood education practitioners. 

The college is an exemplar in its field – training students to become early childhood education practitioners, conducting research in early childhood education and care (ECEC), while also offering professional development programmes to the early childhood sector. 

During the visit the Duke and Duchess spent time with students, staff, parents and children, hearing about the work of the College and the significance that Jamaica places on early childhood development.

The Duchess gave a speech celebrating the College’s foresight on establishing an Early Childhood Education programme and recognising that the early years are fundamental to a child’s journey through life. 

“By realising the extraordinary impact of early childhood and by learning more about how children grow, think and behave, I truly do believe we are on the cusp of one of the biggest opportunities for positive change in generations,” Her Royal Highness said. 

Early childhood educators, she continued, are not only supporting children during a crucial developmental phase, but also nurturing the people they will become, the families they will build and the communities they will be part of. 

For more information about the work of the Royal Foundation please see here.