Investing Against Evidence: the Global State of Early Childhood Care And
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UNESCO EDUCATION ON THE MOVE Publishing United Nations Educational, Scientific and Bringing the latest thinking in education Cultural Organization to education specialists worldwide Created by UNESCO, the series – Education on the Move – against Evidence Investing focuses on key trends in education today and challenges for tomorrow. The series seeks to bring research knowledge produced by various academic disciplines and within various organizations to those who can shape educational policies and drive reforms. As such, it also intends to contribute to on-going reflections on the international education agenda. Investing against Evidence The Global State of Early Childhood and Education of Early Childhood Care Global State The Care and Education P. T. M. Marope and Y. Kaga (Editors) Early childhood care and education (ECCE) has become a key concern for education policy-makers Investing against Evidence and stakeholders. There is mounting research evidence on its benefits for children’s capacities and educational achievements as well as its critical The Global State of Early Childhood role in realizing equitable, quality education and lifelong learning. Addressing the themes of investment rationales, equity and quality, this Care and Education book features various lessons from research and experience from different continents. It argues for reversing the trend of ‘investing against evidence’ so that children – and especially the disadvantaged ones – and societies can reap the proven benefits of quality ECCE. Education Sector United Nations Educational, Scientific and 9 789231 001130 Cultural Organization www.unesco.org/publishing EDUCATION ON THE MOVE UNESCO Publishing United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Investing against Evidence The Global State of Early Childhood Care and Education P. T. M. Marope and Y. Kaga (eds) Published in 2015 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France © UNESCO 2015 ISBN 978-92-3-100113-0 This publication is available in Open Access under the Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 IGO (CC-BY-SA 3.0 IGO) license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/igo/). By using the content of this publication, the users accept to be bound by the terms of use of the UNESCO Open Access Repository (http://www.unesco.org/open-access/terms-use-ccbysa-en). The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The ideas and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors; they are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. Cover design: Corinne Hayworth Cover credit: © Peter Jurik / Panther Media / GraphicObsession Design and printing: UNESCO Printed in France Contents Foreword .................................................................................................................................................... 5 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................... 7 Repositioning ECCE in the post-2015 agenda Mmantsetsa Marope and Yoshie Kaga ................................................................................ 9 Part 1 Understanding ECCE as a right and development imperative Chapter 1 Early childhood care and education is a right Yanghee Lee, Lothar Krappmann and Agnes Akosua Aidoo ................................... 37 Chapter 2 The neurobiology of early childhood development and the foundation of a sustainable society Jack P. Shonkoff ............................................................................................................................. 55 Chapter 3 Investment and productivity arguments for ECCE W. Steven Barnett and Milagros Nores ............................................................................... 73 Part 2 Meeting the challenges of inequality in and through ECCE Chapter 4 Expansion and improvement of ECCE: a gender equality challenge Elsa Leo-Rhynie ............................................................................................................................ 91 Chapter 5 Ethnic diversity and social inclusion in ECCE in Europe Michel Vandenbroeck ............................................................................................................. 105 Chapter 6 Young child ren on the frontline: ECCE in emergency and conflict situations Heyam Loutfi El Zein and Maysoun Chehab ............................................................... 119 Chapter 7 Reducing disparities, enhancing capabilities, embracing diversity: harnessing the power of early childhood care and ducation to advance disability rights Divya Lata ................................................................................................................................... 137 Part 3 Ensuring quality ECCE through contextually relevant provisions Chapter 8 Parenting education and support: maximizing the most critical enabling environment Pia Rebello Britto and Patrice Engle ................................................................................ 157 Chapter 9 Child health and nutrition in Africa: issues and challenges in the context of early childhood development Mohamadou Guélaye Sall .................................................................................................... 175 3 Chapter 10 Institutionalization and the early childhood years: perspectives from Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States Jean-Claude Legrand, Deepa Grover and Bettina Schwethelm ........................... 191 Chapter 11 Quality early childhood care and education in low- resource level countries in Asia Nirmala Rao and Jin Sun ...................................................................................................... 211 Chapter 12 The challenge of local relevance: using the wealth of African cultures in ECCE programme development Robert Serpell and A. Bame Nsamenang ....................................................................... 231 Chapter 13 Curricula in early childhood care and education Glen Palmer ................................................................................................................................ 249 Chapter 14 Institutional frameworks and governance for early childhood systems: multisectoral coordination and integration Emily Vargas-Barón ................................................................................................................ 269 Notes on contributors ................................................................................................................. 291 4 Foreword This book is part of UNESCO’s Education on the Move series which was created to provide policy-makers, educators and other stakeholders with state-of- the-art analyses of topical issues. Early childhood care and education (ECCE) is one of these contemporary issues requiring close attention given its critical role in laying the foundation for lifelong learning and development, and in closing the achievement gaps between the disadvantaged and advantaged. ECCE has had somewhat an ambiguous place within the education sector. Ministries of education have often limited their purview to one or two years of preschool provision prior to primary schooling, while other ministries cover the provision for younger child ren’s care and protection. Generally, these provisions evolved separately without policy and programmatic coordination. Preschool programmes in the past were often considered either ‘luxury’ or an ‘unserious business’ where child ren played under adults’ supervision. However, this is changing. Owing particularly to the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, young child ren have become explicitly defined as right-holders. Indeed, regardless of their age, child ren have rights, including the right to adequate education. Moreover, the principle of the indivisibility of rights, which is fundamental to international conventions and human rights treaties, has given support to cross-sectoral approaches to promoting human development and well-being. The notions of learning beginning at birth and of ECCE as an integral part of basic education – inscribed in the 1990 Jomtien Declaration on Education for All (EFA) and reflected in the first EFA goal within the 2000 Dakar Framework for Action – were also significant in broadening the education agenda. They have given rise to a multitude of efforts, including the 2007 EFA Global Monitoring Report Strong Foundations and the 2010 World Conference on ECCE, Building the Wealth of Nations, organized by UNESCO in cooperation with the Russian Federation and partner organizations. A decisive push toward heightening attention to ECCE by education stakeholders may be the mounting research evidence on its benefits for child ren’s capacities, educational achievement and life prospects. 5 Brain development is most remarkable in early childhood. Providing supportive conditions for early learning and development is more effective and less costly than trying to remedy the consequences of early adversities later. With quality ECCE, child ren are healthy, happy and curious, and well- prepared for primary school. They achieve more and grow into successful lifelong learners. Through