In Sharjah, UNESCO creates a new momentum around Early Childhood Care and Education in the Arab States

To ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood care and education is no easy task. It requires, in today’s day and age, increasing efforts to mobilize political will, activate resources and lead necessary reforms. This was the call for action launched in Uzbekistan, in November 2022, during the World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) organized by UNESCO. Stakeholders from all around the globe gathered in Tashkent to discuss current challenges, innovations and lessons learned in pursuit of the ECCE agenda. 

The World Conference also included participants from the Arab Region which offers its own set of challenges, and that UNESCO is particularly keen to address imminently by joining efforts from all relevant parties in the Arab States, through its Beirut Regional Office that covers 19 Arab States. 

In that spirit, UNESCO Beirut organized a Regional Conference on ECCE in the Arab Countries in Sharjah, in June 2023, in partnership with the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, Sharjah Private Education Authority SPEA, the Federal Agency for Early Education, Sharjah Education Academy SEA, and Sharjah Child Friendly Office, to assess the progress made by the Arab region towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4.2, in addition to exchanging knowledge on key enabling factors, emerging research findings and good practices, and developing high-quality policies and programmes. Organized in partnership with several local and regional entities, the conference brought together representatives from 14 Arab countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates, and 28 speakers from the region as well as international experts in the field of early childhood care. It was held in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, who praised the efforts of the UNESCO Office to support early childhood care and education in the Arab world, and Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Muhammad Al Qasimi, Chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs. In her opening speech, she made it clear that “the first years of a person's life play a major role in building an individual's identity, starting with learning to walk, verbal communication with others, and forming relationships and friendships with peers, until they achieve independence in society”.

So what’s so particular about the Arab Region when it comes to early education? Maysoun Chehab, Education Program Specialist at UNESCO Beirut, brought key answers through a UNESCO regional report lately published on early childhood care and education. According to the report, the biggest challenge to progress in most of the countries in the region is political instability and conflict, which exacerbate inequality, poverty, exclusion and marginalization. The refugee crisis is also putting huge pressure on conflict-affected countries, host governments and communities to ensure access to quality education at all levels. Although countries recognize ECCE as a right, Chehab indicated, ECCE is not yet present in all national policies as a priority. Currently, 6 countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council have ratified early childhood laws, policies and regulations, and assigned competence to one ministry, the Ministry of Education. Other countries have improved their practices by establishing a multisectoral body to coordinate the development of a comprehensive strategy for early childhood care, such as the Federal Early Education Council, the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood in the Emirates, and the National Committee for Childhood in Bahrain, in addition to establishing educational councils and national centers for the development of education, such as in Kuwait and Qatar.

“Despite the many challenges, Chehab said, some Arab countries have shown many effective efforts on early childhood, to ensure progress of the early childhood system, so that it would become more comprehensive, and that it benefits from advanced technology and digital transformation.”

The latter is actually at the heart of the recommendations issued following the debates. In their roadmap, the participants emphasized the need to set a general framework for ECCE curricula in the Arab States to enhance children’s well-being, social skills, creativity and sense of independence. The development of flexible curricula was also referred to as a priority, with activities and programs that allow family and community participation, alongside the establishment of dedicated training centers, the demand for increased support to scientific research, and the coordination with academic educational institutions. The participants also recommended establishing a coordination body at the central level represented by the various ministries concerned with early childhood, civil associations, academic experts, representatives of the private sector and professional syndicates. Key recommendations finally included an increase in ECCE educational funding, to strengthen initiatives in the Arab world and between Arab States.

With this clear roadmap set for the future, the conference succeeded in creating an auspicious momentum around ECCE in the Arab Region, leading to a renewed commitment and engagement at different levels, and that UNESCO is planning to build on in the months to come. Costanza Farina, Director of the UNESCO Regional Multisectoral Office for the Arab Countries, called for representatives of the Arab states to come together, to implement the Tashkent Declarations effectively within the region. “It is a responsibility we cannot afford to take lightly, for the future of our children and our societies depends on it, she said. For every child who receives quality care and education, we are sowing the seeds of a brighter, more inclusive future. So we must think boldly, act decisively, and collaborate relentlessly to achieve this mission. We need to transcend boundaries and work as a united front, harnessing the power of shared experiences, best practices, and innovative approaches. We also need to commit to transform early childhood, advocate for policy reforms, mobilize communities, engage parents, and empower educators.”

UNESCO regards ECCE as a fundamental and integral part of the education system and a solid foundation on which to build lifelong education, lives and careers. Its work is based on the idea that ‘Learning begins at birth’, which was introduced into the World Declaration on Education for All Jomtien in 1990.