Post on 24-Dec-2015
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AFRICA EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE
Rationale, Update, and Workshop Overview
Michelle J. Neuman, Ph.D.Zanzibar - October 26, 2009
What is ECCD?
Support for young children’s survival, growth, development and learning including health, nutrition, nurturing care and stimulation
Prenatal to age 8: the most important developmental phase in human lifespan
A diverse field: settings…homes, schools, community-based… providers…public, private, non-profit… activities…care, nutrition, parent education… ages...prenatal, 0-2, 3-5, 6-8… agencies…education, health, gender, social…
Children can thrive in many different kinds of environments.
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Why is ECCD important?
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality, and other health goals
1. Expand and improve comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children
2. Universal primary education by 2015
3. Learning and life skills programs for youth and adults
4. 50% increase in adult literacy rates by 2015
5. Gender parity by 2005 and gender equality by 2015
6. Improving quality of education
MDGsEFA Goals
Young children in Africa are vulnerable
High under-5 mortality rates (176 per 1000), most from preventable diseases
40% of children under age 5 are moderately or severely stunted
71 million children (61% of children under age 5) do not reach their full potential due to poverty and poor health, nutrition, and care
Children in emergency, conflict and post-conflict situations highly vulnerable
Children often begin school late, repeat grades, drop out early, and perform poorly. 38 million children are out of school
HIGH QUALITY ECCD PROGRAMS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
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5
0 1 4 8 12 16
AGE
SensingPathways
(vision, hearing)
LanguageHigherCognitive Function
3 6 9-3-6
Months Years
C. Nelson, in From Neurons to Neighborhoods, 2000
Con
cep t
i on
Early years are a window of opportunity
Quality ECD improves education outcomes
Better access to primary school
Lower retention in primary school
Improved gender equity in education
Lower repetition rates
Better language development
Higher achievement in education
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Source: Heckman & Carneiro (2003) Human Capital Policy
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…but Africa lags behind in pre-primary enrolment
Developed/transition countries
Latin America/Caribbean
East Asia/Pacific
South and West Asia
Arab States
Sub-Saharan Africa
Regional GER is 14% vs. 40% globally
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1999 2004
Gro
ss e
nro
lmen
t ra
tio
in p
re-p
rim
ary
(%
)
Source: EFA Global Monitoring Report, 2007
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Note: Mali and Zambia figures for pre-school are gross enrollment ratiosSource: Global Education Digest, 2008
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Equity: Poverty limits access to ECCD
0 20 40 60 80
Niger
D. R. Congo
U. R. Tanzania
Lao PDR
Tajikistan
Uganda
Rwanda
Senegal
Egypt
Bolivia
Myanmar
Azerbaijan
Madagascar
Sierra Leone
Philippines
Cameroon
Kenya
Nicaragua
Mongolia
Haiti
Lesotho
India
Venezuela
Viet Nam
Colombia
Trinidad/Tobago
Attendance rates (%)
Poorer households
Richer households
Higher attendance for children from
richer households
Lower attendance among poor who
would benefit most
Other factors that limit access:- Lack of mother’s secondary education
- Living in rural households
- Lack of birth certificate
Source: EFA Global Monitoring Report, 2007
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Improve quality Promote school readiness
o The quality of interaction between carer and child is the single most important determinant of program success
Source: EFA Global Monitoring Report, 2007
Promoting school readiness also means making schools ready for children
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A holistic approach is important
Young children have multiple needs for:
Nurturing parenting, strong family and community support Early stimulation and developmental activities Preventive and primary health and nutrition Safety/protection Clean water, home and community environment
o Iron, nutrition, deworming and psycho-social stimulation positive impact on learning
o Combining nutrition and early stimulation has larger and longer-lasting impact children’s health and learning than either alone
Purposes of the Africa ECCD Initiative
1. Improve the capacity of African countries to attain EFA Goals and MDGs by laying a strong foundation, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
2. Increase understanding among stakeholders of the importance of children’s early development and learning as a key ingredient in achieving EFA goals.
3. Foster the scaling up of ECCD policies and programs by helping countries obtain sustainable funding for cost-effective approaches.
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Strategy: Mainstreaming ECD into EFA-FTI
“Fast Track Initiative” = global partnership to accelerate progress towards universal completion of quality primary education by 2015
One country, one education strategy, one process Ed Sector Plan
Covering the whole sector Realistic and Sustainable Linked to the overall Poverty Reduction Strategy
Two sources of technical and financial support:
Education Program Development Fund (EPDF)
Catalytic Fund (CF)
ECD is essential ingredient for achieving universal primary completion!
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Main Components: 2009-2010
1. Develop ECCD programs in at least 8 countries by providing country-level analytical support
2. Exchange ECCD policy and program experiences regionally
Technical workshop for 8 country teams (October 2009)
4th African international conference with ADEA WGECD (Nov 2009)
3. Build capacity of emerging leaders:
ECDVU 3rd cohort launched in February: Cameroon, The Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia
New nutrition virtual university to be launched in fall 2009
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Eight Countries Selected: 2009
Guinea Liberia Mali Niger
Nigeria Senegal Tanzania/Zanzibar Zambia
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Scope of country EPDF support Work with country teams and development partners to
design and implement strong ECD components in education sector programs (and related policies and plans)
Activities vary according to local needs and priorities: Analytical/technical support for ESP development Capacity-development for implementation Monitoring, evaluation, and knowledge-sharing
Workshop objectives
To provide a forum for high-level ECCD officials to:
1. Exchange ideas, experiences, and lessons learned to date
2. Receive technical support to strengthen results
3. Learn about new cost-effective, contextually-appropriate approaches for going to scale
4. Develop concrete strategies for going to scale in their own countries (briefing memo and presentation).
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Workshop organization and outputs
Panel Sessions
Cross-Country Dialogue Sessions
Country Team Clinics briefing memo and presentation
brief ministers and other officials who will attend Dakar conference inform ECCD policy and program implementation within EFA-FTI mobilize support from local development partners.
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