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I.
INTRODUCTION
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A. Origins
and purposes of this report |
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This document has been commissioned as a contribution to the
Year 2000 Assessment of Education for All (EFA). That assessment
is being carried out in order to describe and examine global
and national changes that have occurred in basic education and
learning since the World Conference on Education for All was
held in Jomtien Thailand in March of 1990. The results of the
EFA Assessment will be used as a basis for discussing what can
and should be done in the future to improve the learning and
education of children. The discussion will occur first at regional
meetings and then at the Global Conference in Dakar, Senegal
in April of 2000. |
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The particular topic of this review - early childhood care
and development, or ECCD - emerged at Jomtien as an important
extension of the more traditional approach to basic education
that saw "education" as beginning with entrance into school.
Specifically, the Jomtien Declaration stated that:
"Learning
begins at birth. This calls for early childhood care and initial
education. These can be provided through arrangements involving
families, communities or institutional programmes, as appropriate."
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Moreover, the Framework for Action fashioned at the World Conference
set as one of the targets to be considered by signatories in
their plans for the 1990s: "Expansion of early childhood care
and development activities, including family and community interventions,
especially for poor, disadvantaged and disabled children." |
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Thus, the Jomtien Declaration and Framework gave international
presence and sanction to early childhood care and development
and to "initial education" in a way that it had not enjoyed
previously, even during the 1979 "Year of the Child." For some,
the recognition of attention to learning during the pre-school
years and to ECCD as part of basic education represented a triumph.
Expectations ran high. |
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But what has happened since March 1990? Did early childhood
care and development activities get incorporated into national
plans? Has early childhood care and development made significant
advances? How are these defined? What conditions have helped
or hindered advance? What problems remain? Where should we go
from here? |
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In trying to respond to these questions, we will first look
briefly at the broader context, noting changes in broad conditions
that preceded and/or that characterise the 1990s. Then, trends
and "advances" will be described in relation to: 1) the well-being
of children, 2) enrolments, 3) conditions favouring improvement
in ECCD programmes, and 4) shifts in the kinds and qualities
of programmes being provided. Finally, some continuing (or new)
problems will be identified and suggestions will be offered
for trying to overcome problems and meet challenges as we look
ahead. |
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I n this document, emphasis will be placed on ECCD in the "Majority
World" with passing references to Western Europe, the United
States, and other countries of the "Minority World." There are
two reasons for this decision. The first is that there is a
tendency for programmes in these countries to be taken as the
template or standard for development of ECCD in the future.
Although it is clear that ideas can be obtained from past experience
in these countries, other countries must be counted on to develop
their own systems appropriate to their particular circumstances.
Second, most of these countries have seen their role in the
EFA exercise as so-called "donor" countries and have not reported
on their own advances or setbacks in the field. |
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B. Methodology |
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The information necessary to carry out this review and analysis
comes from three main sources:
1.
A review of literature has been undertaken, relying heavily
on the accumulation of documents that have been amassed
by the Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development
over the last 15 years, but also drawing on recent material
provided specifically in relation to this review.
2.
Country reports prepared as part of the more general EFA
Assessment have been reviewed in order to extract the statistics
and general comments found in these reviews dealing with
early childhood care and education. The quality of the country
reviews, their treatment of ECCD, and the availability of
statistics varied widely from country to country. It has
been possible also to draw on summaries from the Johannesburg
and Bangkok regional EFA meetings and on documents other
than the country reports.
3. To
supplement the more quantitative treatment expected from
country reports and realising that it might be difficult
to come by reliable data, a survey was also carried out
of "knowledgeable people" in different geographic, disciplinary
and organisational settings. A qualitative analysis has
been done of the 62 replies received to five general questions.
The combined early childhood experience of the respondents
amounted to over 1000 years. Additional details about the
characteristics of those who responded can be found in Appendix
1. The analysis will be reported in greater detail in a
subsequent publication; results have been drawn upon selectively
in the text.
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C. A
Note on Terminology |
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In this document, the phrase "Early Childhood Care and Development",
abbreviated to ECCD, will be used throughout. This phrase was
used in the Jomtien Framework for Action. I realise that placing
emphasis on care and development may lead some to think that
this paper has little to do with "education" or "learning".
But this is precisely the point: education systems are, whether
they recognise it or not, also systems of care and they should
be directed toward promoting the integral development of the
children in the system, not just toward preparing children for
school. Accordingly, I have chosen to use this phrase in order
to promote a broad and integral view of learning and education.
"Learning" and "education" are embedded in care and development. |
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Among the other valid terms that might have been used (and that
may have some tactical advantages are: Early Childhood Care
and (Initial) Education (taken from the Jomtien Declaration
and preferred by UNESCO), Early Childhood Education and Care
(being used by OECD), Early Childhood Care for Survival, Growth
and Development (the current terminology used by UNICEF), or
Early Childhood Development (favoured by the World Bank). |
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Return
to contents |
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