Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte is urging all parents to be more open to early childhood education.
She said parents, particularly mothers, must change their mindset and be more open to enroll their children early in life.
Children five years old and below should be taught reading at least the letters of the alphabet, Belmonte added.
She said some elementary graduates still do not know how to read, adding such issue could be solved through teaching kids to read and write in their toddler years.
“For my part, I think we can already teach a three-year-old child to read and write even a few letters. I have noticed that there are many of our children in the elementary level, such as those in grades four and five, who still cannot read,” she said.
“They are not trained to love books at an early age or even to learn things,” Belmonte added.
The vice mayor also called on preschool teachers to think out of the box and incorporate modern teaching techniques to make children’s learning experience more fun and effective.
She advised the teachers to expand the minds of their students and bring them to their limits to help the children develop their talents.
If elected as the next mayor in 2019, Belmonte said she would prioritize the founding of child-minding services where solo parents could entrust their child if they have any other things to do.