Early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes remain under-funded and available only to a lucky few. However, a holistic view of child development is slowly growing as innovative policymakers in some developing countries come to recognise links between educational achievement and health and nutrition.

A chapter in Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2007 draws on examples from national experience to highlight promising practices in the areas of governance, quality and financing of ECCE.

An explicit ECCE policy is ineffective unless accompanied by a broader strategy engaging all the sectors with responsibility related to early childhood. Drawing up a national vision statement of goals can help countries address the rights and needs of young children. It should clarify the work of the education, health and social sectors and require relevant government agencies to provide needed funding and to work together.

The public is generally unaware of the benefits of ECCE. Research findings must be shared with key stakeholders – especially parents. Increased public recognition of the potential contribution of ECCE to Education for All and the Millennium Development Goals could encourage greater national commitment to young children.

Encouragingly, awareness of the needs of young children is no longer confined to industrialised nations. Representatives of international agencies, local non-governmental organisations, researchers and providers of services for children and families have formed networks to share information and experiences within and across borders. Some countries are working to integrate pre-school and primary curricula, creating multigrade classrooms with lesson plans that respond to students’ differing abilities and interests.

The EFA Global Monitoring Report commends:

• Chile, Jamaica, Jordan, Senegal, Thailand and Vietnam for making early childhood a national priority
• Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba and Mexico for establishing coordinating bodies to improve public awareness of ECCE, develop a shared vision and increase access
• Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea and Vietnam for bilingual early childhood programmes
• Ghana, Uganda and Zambia for integrating early childhood development into Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers
• UNICEF for ‘Child Friendly Spaces’ in conflict-affected environments – providing a sense of security for mothers and children – and combining child-centred learning, vocational training for mothers and information about breastfeeding, hygiene and nutrition.

It urges governments and donors to recognise young children’s rights, needs and potential, to set clear targets and to introduce enforceable quality standards covering public and private provision. Also they can prepare action plans which identify division of responsibilities, allocation of resources and implementation schedules. This will require:

• awareness that the single most important determinant of ECCE quality is interaction between children and staff: this depends on reasonable working conditions, low child to staff ratios and adequate materials
• consultative processes involving civil society, families and communities
• designation of a lead ministry or agency for ECCE policy and policies specifying  administrative responsibilities and budget commitments
• focus on poor children, children living in rural areas and those with disabilities
• encouragement for more men to work in ECCE
• media campaigns to spread knowledge about newborns, the importance of breastfeeding and reading and the role of fathers.

Source(s):
‘Fostering Strong ECCE Policies’, chapter eight in ‘Strong Foundations: Early Childhood Care and Education. Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2007’, UNESCO Publishing, October 2006 (PDF) Full document.
‘Strong Foundations: Early Childhood Care and Education. Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2007’, UNESCO Publishing, October 2006 (PDF) Full document.

Funded by: Several bilateral donors and UNESCO

id21 Research Highlight: 28 November 2006

Further Information:
Nicholas Burnett, Director
EFA Global Monitoring Report Team
UNESCO
7, place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP, France

Tel: +33 1 45 68 21 28
Fax: +33 1 45 68 56 27
Contact the contributor: efareport@unesco.org

EFA Monitoring Report Team, UNESCO

Other related links:
'Ignoring the world’s youngest children makes no sense'

'Assessing early childhood care and education'

'Early childhood development programmes for the developing world'

'Make childhood poverty history' id21 insights #56