Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

I still have not received a response from any of the international early childhood professionals that I have tried to establish contact with; therefore, I proceeded this week with reviewing  UNESCO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education” webpage at http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/ themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood as assigned. However, the link came up forbidden so I continued with internet search untill I found what I needed. UNESCO advocates for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programs that attend to health, nutrition, security and learning that provides for children’s holistic development. 

I discovered that most countries around the globe are struggling with the same issues that we are regarding access, equity, quality, and inclusion for all children. The 1990 Jomtien Declaration for Education for All stated that learning begins at birth. A decade later, the 2000 Dakar Framework for Action reaffirmed the importance of early childhood by including the development of early childhood care and education as the first of its six main goals. Participating countries committed themselves to “expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.” Governments were particularly urged to expand equitable access to quality early childhood services underscoring the importance of instituting policy in favor of the poor. Countries often promote alternative services for poor children with limited or no access to mainstream early childhood services.  While this can be cost-effective and pedagogically groundbreaking, it raises concerns about sustainability and quality.  In cases where the government has limited resources, a pro-poor policy can redistribute resources by reducing state support for the more privileged, thus creating inequities. Additionally, while ensuring an equitable distribution of resources among different populations and especially those who live in the most disadvantaged regions seeks to expand access without creating serious regional inequities may be important; where there is universal provision for a certain age group while the overall enrolment in other age groups is low can create inequities. While advantaged children of the target age group benefit from state investment, disadvantaged children in non-targeted ages receive limited government attention. UNESCO proposes that a policy of universalization with targeting can minimize issues of inequity in governments that aim for universal access among the target age group while simultaneously prioritizing the poor.

UNESCO points out that there are no universally agreed criteria for quantifying ECCE quality, yet emphasizes useful factors to consider including pedagogy materials, personnel training, service setting, and parental education and involvement. They stipulate that learning materials should be quantitatively, culturally, and developmentally adequate with a focus on child-centered interactions. They also stipulate that active involvement from parents, communities, relevant play, and learning materials ensure that early childhood services remain relevant to the needs of the children, all other stakeholders, and increases sustainability.

The website has much information regarding early childhood education around the world including country profiles, public policy, country policy reviews, various publications, and more.

Early childhood care and education (ECCE) is more than a preparatory stage assisting the child’s transition to formal schooling. Early childhood policies are placed within a broader context of social development, gender equity and poverty reduction. UNESCO leads the international policy drive for an integrated early childhood care and education system that encompasses both the well-being and the development of the whole child. Their mission is to support early childhood policy development with the aim of building a solid foundation for all children’s lifelong learning.  UNESCO actively works with Member States in their efforts to develop and strengthen their national capacity to meet the first goal of the 2000 Dakar Framework for Action, which aims to expand and improve comprehensive early childhood care and education for all.

These points support and align with our studies and my ultimate professional goal which is to make a difference in the lives of children and families for the better, thus, creating a brighter future for children, families, and society. It also supports my second goal which is to create, maintain, support, and advocate for high quality, responsive, culturally, developmentally, and individually appropriate learning environments and experiences that will positively influence learning and development in all areas while promoting health and safety for “all” children.

Reference

UNESCO. (2016). “Early Childhood Care and Education” Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/ themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood