Group Village Head Minando in the area of Senior Chief Mwambo in Zomba District has warned that parents who fail to send their children to Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres will face fines under newly introduced community bylaws.
The decision follows a meeting between community duty bearers and parents aimed at promoting Early Childhood Development in the area.
The meeting was organised by Youth for Development Productivity (YODEP), which works with communities to improve child development and education.
Speaking after the meeting, Minando said the bylaws were agreed upon as a way of encouraging parents to prioritise early childhood education.
He expressed concern that despite the establishment of the Tikondane ECD Centre, the turnout of children attending the facility remains low.
According to the village head, the community agreed that parents who stop sending their children to the ECD centre will be required to pay a fine.
The meeting also agreed that parents who fail to participate in farming activities at the ECD garden will face a penalty.
Under the bylaws, parents who do not take part in the garden activities will be required to pay a fine of K1,000.
Meanwhile, parents who stop sending their children to the ECD centre will be fined K2,000.
Joy Mwandama, programmes manager for YODEP, said communities need to take Early Childhood Development seriously because it plays a critical role in preparing children for primary education.
