Building policy support for early childhood care and education

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 GlobalMonitoring Report 2007 draws on examples from national experience to highlightpromising practices in the areas of governance, quality and financing of ECCE.

An explicit ECCE policy is ineffective unlessaccompanied by a broader strategy engaging all the sectors with responsibilityrelated to early childhood. Drawing up a national vision statement of goals canhelp countries address the rights and needs of young children. It should clarifythe work of the education, health and social sectors and require relevant governmentagencies to provide needed funding and to work together.

The public is generally unaware of thebenefits of ECCE. Research findings must be shared with keystakeholders – especially parents. Increased public recognition of the potentialcontribution of ECCE to Education for All and the Millennium Development Goalscould encourage greater national commitment to young children.

Encouragingly, awareness of the needs of youngchildren is no longer confined to industrialised nations. Representatives ofinternational agencies, local non-governmental organisations, researchers andproviders of services for children and families have formed networks to shareinformation and experiences within and across borders. Some countries areworking to integrate pre-school and primary curricula, creating multigrade classrooms with lesson plans that respond tostudents’ 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, CostaRica, Cuba andMexico for establishing coordinating bodies to improve public awareness ofECCE, develop a shared vision and increase access
• Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, PapuaNew Guinea andVietnam for bilingual early childhood programmes
• Ghana, Uganda and Zambia for integrating early childhood development into Poverty ReductionStrategy Papers
• UNICEF for ‘Child FriendlySpaces’ in conflict-affected environments – providing a sense of security formothers and children – and combining child-centred learning, vocationaltraining for mothers and information about breastfeeding, hygiene and nutrition.

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

• awareness that the singlemost important determinant of ECCE quality is interaction between children andstaff: this depends on reasonable working conditions, low child to staff ratiosand adequate materials
• consultative processes involvingcivil society, families and communities
• designation of a lead ministry or agencyfor ECCE policy and policies specifying  administrative responsibilities and budgetcommitments
• focus on poor children, childrenliving in rural areas and those with disabilities
• encouragement for more mento work in ECCE
• media campaigns to spread knowledge about newborns, the importance ofbreastfeeding and reading and the role of fathers.