Getting to Know your International Contacts - Part 3

Without ever receiving a response from any of my international contacts, I chose to explore UNESCO's "Early Childhood Care and Education" webpage at http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/ and share with you what I learned.

On UNESCO's website, I found about the E-9 Initiative.  This initiative focuses on 9 high population countries - Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, and Pakistan- and their attempt to improve early childhood education. The basics of this initiative build on the fact that these countries populations are slowly declining.  Therefore, if the keep spending the same amount of money on early childhood education that they are now, then more money can be spent on ensuring quality in education. I think this initiative is great and the facts behind it really support improving early childhood education through equity, access, and quality. With regards to my own professional goals, I would love to improve equity, access, and quality of early childhood education here at home. Through funding efforts and community work, I hope to help make early childhood learning available to all.

I also learned about Gambia's Policy for early childhood education. In it's National Education Policy 2004-15, the government announced a plan to create early childhood centers for 3-6 year olds on the premises of primary schools in the most disadvantaged areas.  However, these "centers" are not really educational settings. These are playgrounds where the educator is not focused on early learning but on child-minding 'aka babysitting'. With my professional goals in mind, I could see how establishing a program like this would and could begin more as a playground/childcare center and develop over time into an educational facility.  It takes time, support, funding, and staff to create a learning center and unfortunately Gambia doesn't have all of these at the moment.  I do however respect their commitment to children and encourage them to continue their efforts to improve early childhood education.

Another interesting bit of information I learned involves New Zealand's home based early childhood services. In New Zealand, home based early childhood centers have grown along with the number of women entering the workforce. The Ministry of Education is currently responsible for partial funding and administration of these home care centers.  The ministry is currently implementing regulations and academic requirements to help keep early learning centers safe. As far as my professional goals are concerned, I have never had the desire to start my own early learning center, especially out of my home.  I do however agree with New Zealand on the issues regarding strict regulations, inspections, and academic curriculum.  In a home setting, the classroom dynamic has changed, and there are more factors to consider with regards to safety. Rules and regulations need to be followed to ensure a safe, secure, enjoyable environment for children to grow and learn.

I really enjoyed researching UNESCO's early childhood website and I encourage you to do the same.

Resources
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood

Choi, S. (January 2004). Access, public investment, and equity in ecce: The nexus in high nine population countries. UNESCO Policy Brief on early Childhood Education. (number 19).

Choi, S. (September-October 2006). Bite off only as much as you can chew: Gambia's policy for early childhood.  UNESCO Policy Brief on early Childhood Education. (number 34).

Podmore, V. (September 2002). Home based early childhood services: The case of New Zealand. UNESCO Policy Brief on early Childhood Education. (number 6).