ECD Group The World Bank

November 8, 2007

Outline of Presentation

• Status of ECD Services in Turkey

• ACEV’s alternative ECD models

• From field work to advocacy: the “7 is Too Late” Campaign

Early Childhood Education in

Turkey

The Turkish Context

Population 72 million GNI per capita 5,400  USD

Age structure 0-14 years 24.90%

15-64 years 68.10%

65 years + 6.90%

Median Age 28.6 yearsPopulation growth rate 1.04%

Literacy rate Male 95.3%

Female 79.6%

* Source: CIA Factbook and WDI

Turkey’s preschool enrollment rates remain low

Early Childhood Programs

Country %

France 100 Belgium 100Italy 100Estonia 100Czech Republic 100Germany 97Denmark 91

Enrollment Rates in Preschool (%) (3-6 yrs)

Country %

Mexico 84Latvia 79Bulgaria 78Greece 66Georgia 49Jordan 30Indonesia 22Turkey 16Egypt

14

Source: UNESCO Statistics

Status of early childhood education services in Turkey

 

   

•Low public spending: Public spending on early childhood education constitutes 1% of the budget of the Ministry of Education and only 1/1000 of the total government budget as of 2005. In Turkey, basic education gets the largest portion of the education budget.

•Regional Disparities in Supply: Preschools are located in big cities and in the western parts of the country, making it difficult for people living in remote or rural areas to access these services.

•Unaffordable Services: Most preschools are private and charge fees that are not affordable to the poor. Expensive access to center-based preschool education makes it difficult for the poor to access preschool education services.

ACEV’s Alternative Models for ECD

Our Mission

The Mother Child Education Foundation (AÇEV) is a Turkish NGO founded in 1993 with a focus on early childhood education and family literacy programs.

ACEV programs aim to provide equal opportunity in education to all by targeting preschool children and their families in disadvantaged communities.

Since 1993, AÇEV:

has been working towards providing equal opportunity in education for all;

upholding the view that learning is a lifelong process that must begin in early childhood;

supporting the child as well as his/her immediate caregivers and environment.

AÇEV’s Main Programs

Family Training Programs Mother Child Education Program

Mother Support Program

Father Support Program

Early Childhood Education Programs

Preschool Parent Child Education Program

“Summer Preschools” for children in Southeastern Turkey

Women’s Empowerment and Functional Literacy Programs

Women’s Empowerment and Literacy Program

Engagement in education policy dialogue and advocacy

“7 is too Late” Campaign

Research

ProgramDevelopment

ProgramImplementation

PolicyDevelopment

ProgramEvaluation

Advocacy

Partnerships

BeneficiaryNeeds

AÇEV’s Programmatic Approach

Intervention Methods of AÇEV

Educational Programs

via

TV

Publications

and

Web-Based

Resources

Our Partners

Target GroupA home-based, low cost, preschool program, targeting socio-economically disadvantaged mothers of 6 year olds.

AimDeveloped to empower mothers by supporting them in their parenting roles and equipping them with the knowledge and tools necessary for fostering the cognitive development of their children.

Duration25 weeks, 2 hours a week

Mother Child Education Program

Mother Support Program

Target Groupmothers of 3-9 year olds

AimDeveloped to empower mothers by supporting them in their parenting roles, strenghtening their communication with their children

Duration13 weeks, 2 hours a week

Target GroupFathers of 2-10 year olds

Aimto encourage and support fathers to take a more positive and active role in their child's development. Specific focus is placed on raising awareness about child-rearing, child development, parenting, communication within the family and health issues pertaining to this age group.

Duration13 weeks, 2 hours a week

Father Support Program

Preschool Parent Child Education Program

Target Groupchildren attending state run preschools and their parents

AimDeveloped to empower parents by supporting them in their parenting roles and equipping teachers and parents with the knowledge and tools necessary for fostering the cognitive development of children. Also strenghtening family school cooperation.

Duration28 weeks for children 8 meetings for parent/ one meeting per month

Summer Schools for Children in Southeastern Turkey

Target Grouphigh risk 6 years old children who are in low socio economic situation

AimSummer program for 6 year olds which aims to prepare children for school cognitively, linguistically and socially. It runs concurrently with a mother support program.

Duration10 weeks

Target Groupilliterate women

AimA program which aims to impart basic literacy skills to illiterate women in society and to aid them in developing functional literacy skills in a relatively short period of time. The program specifically focuses on motivating the participants to use literacy skills in their daily lives.

Duration3 months / 3 days a week

Women’s Empowerment and Literacy Program

An Evaluation of the Functional Adult Literacy Program (1997)

An Evaluation of the Mother Child Education Program—(A Fair Chance) (1998)

Adult Literacy: Issues of Personal and Community Development (2000)

Functional Literacy, Television News and Social Participation: Linkages Between Mass Media and Empowerment of Women (2000)

An Evaluation of the Preschool Parent Child Program’s Anatolian Pilot Implementation Project (2000-2001)

Need Assessment in Early Childhood Education and An Evaluation of Children’s Level of Linguistic Competence in Three Provinces of Turkey (2002)

An Evaluation of the Effects of TV Program Entitled ‘Will You Play With Me?’ (2003)

Continuing Effects of Early Intervantion in Adult Life (2004)

A Cost Benefit Analysis of Preschool Education in Turkey (2004)

Research and Program Evaluations

Mother Child Education Program Results in TurkeyA number of quantitative evaluations have been carried out of the Mother Child Education Program in Turkey. These studies show that as a result of the program:

Impact on Mothers Impact on Children

• Better relations with their family and child

• Less negative discipline methods• Increased confidence and self-

satisfaction• More involved in decision making in

the home• More interested in child's schooling

and made more effort for school success

• Make better use of services in the community

• Better prepared for school• Better academic performance• More likely to continue education

beyond primary• Development as independent

individual• Form positive social relations• More likely to go on to university• Earn higher salaries • More likely to own computers

Bekman, S. (1998) A Fair Chance: An Evaluation of the Mother-Child Education Program

Father Support Program Results in Turkey

Regarding Their Children

Regarding Their Wives

Regarding Themselves

Behavior • Decreased use of negative discipline methods

• Start talking to and explaining to the child

• Start showing more affection to the child

• Start spending more time with the child

• Have become more tolerant

• Have become closer to the child

• Started warning, talking to and explaining to the mother

• More tolerant

• Better communication

• Talking and explaining to others about the contents of the program

• Hasbecome more social and has better communication with others.

Perception

• Started considering his child as an individual

• More careful about keeping promises

• Has become more knowledgable and gained a new perspectice regarding child development

• Is proud of himself• Is more flexible

Source: Kocak, A. (2004) Evaluation Report Of The Father Support Program

Women’s Empowerment Program Results in Turkey

Issue Situation analyzedPre-test Response

Post-test response

Women’s right to choose a spouse

In this section of the narrative her father wants to marry Belmar to an older man. The participant is asked what she would do if she were in Belma’s place

“Her father can give her [hand] even if she doesn’t want to get married. She shouldn’t go against her father. I wouldn’t go against my father either”

“She has a right to decide. Her father is marrying her off for money. She should complain to the police. I wouldn’t marry off my daughter.”

Right to find employment

Belma has married Ahmet who has a limited income. Belma wants to work outside the house to help support her family but Ahmet’s family does not permit her to work. The question asks the participant how she would react in similar circumstances.

“If her family doesn’t permit, she cannot work. She should talk to them. I would talk to them and if they permitted, then I would work”

“She has a lot of rights. She should talk with her husband to convince him. I would also talk with my husband to convince him”

Domestic violence

Belma and Ahmet are having marital problems. Ahmet frequently beats Belma. The question asks the participant why she thinks Ahmet is behaving in this way and what she would have done in a similar situation.

“He is behaving like that because of work troubles. He is a man, if he doesn’t have a job, he may act like that. It is normal. If she asked me, I’d say bear with it, I hope it works out, If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to anything, what can I do? If I cannot bear it, I might separate”

“He doesn’t have a good job, that’s why he is upset. He doesn’t have a right to behave this way. It will get better in the future. but if it continues like that, I will probably get separated”

Child labor Belma’s father wants to withdraw Bekir, Belma’s 11 year old brother from school so that he can work. The question asks the participant what she would do if she was in Belma’s situation.

“It is his father. She cannot do anything”

“A school-age child should definitely go to school. She should go and talk with her father. If it were my brother, I would support him to go to school. First I would talk to my father to change his mind”

Note: The responses come from the same participant before and after the program. Source: Durgunoglu and Oney “An Evaluation of the Functional Adult Literacy Program in South-Eastern Turkey”, June 2003

“7 is Too Late” Advocacy Campaign

Despite a number of limited statements recognising the importance of ECE, the Turkish government was not prioritising the issue. Starting in 2005, AÇEV tried to facilitate dialogue between civil society and the government for the reform of the education sector and launch new early childhood education programs in Turkey.

“7 is Too Late” is a campaign launched by AÇEV in partnership with 6 other leading NGOs to:

increase public awareness on early childhood education

influence a change in education policy and make early childhood education universal in Turkey.

.

The “7 is Too Late” Advocacy Campaign

The Plan for the Campaign

Thank you

Please visit our website for more information on our programs: www.acev.org