The Growth of Early Childhood Education in the Caribbean.

1
The Growth of Early Childhood Education in the
Caribbean.

• Presented by
• Shelly-Ann Harper

2
EducationA Human Right

• Recognized by Governments as pivotal in the
  pursuit of development and social transformation.
• Education for all goals (Thailand, 1990)
• EFA goals reaffirmed (World Education Forum,
  2000)
• Millennium Development Goals (2000)

3
Education For All

• Millennium Development Goals
• Universal access
• Free
• Quality
• Compulsory
• (Primary education by 2015)

• Life-cycle approach
• Learning is a lifelong process.
• Provision of education throughout all stages of
  childhood and beyond.
• Right to education begins at birth.
• (Convention on the Rights of the Child)

4
Early Childhood Care and Education

• Young children should have access to programmes
  of
• Health care
• Education
• Promote their well being
• Support their optimum development
• (Convention on the Rights of the Child)

• Dakar Framework of Action , 2002
• Goal 1.
• To expand and improve early childhood care and
  education, particularly to the most
  disadvantaged and vulnerable children.
• (EFA Global Monitoring Report,2006)

5
Importance of Early Childhood Development(birth-8
years)

• One of the most significant physical changes in
  infancy is brain growth. A babys brain develops
  at an astonishing rate
• by age 3 it is as complex as it will ever be.
• (Shore,1997)

6
Early Childhood Education and Care in the CARICOM
Region,2006

• Research in 13 Caribbean countries
• EFA Global Monitoring Report on Early Childhood
  care and education found
• 87 of daycare and preschool services in 13
  countries in the region are provided by private
  operators , community organizations, churches
• Early Childhood institutions across the region-
  4,097
• Participation-5 to 53 (birth to 2 cohorts)
• Participation- 55 to 95 ( 3 to 5 cohorts)

7
Early Childhood Education and Care in the CARICOM
Region,2006,(contd.)

• Lack of Services for children, particularly in
  the under 3 age groups
• An absence of enforced national standards for the
  provision of ECCE
• Varying standards of care and quality

8
Early Childhood Education and Care in the CARICOM
Region,2006,(contd.)

• Weak licensing, certification and monitoring
  systems
• Low levels of training among caregivers
• Small undercapitalized operators

9
Quality of learning environments in Early
Childhood centers(Early Childhood Environment
Rating Scale(R))

• Observation-based measure
• Space and furnishings
• Personal care routines
• Language and reasoning
• Activities
• Interaction
• Programme structure
• Parents and staff

10
Caribbean Plan of Action for ECCEPolicy and
Programmatic Responses

• Development of ECD Policy with improved standards
  and regulatory frameworks.
• Children will benefit from increased access to
  early stimulation and early education services.

• Children will benefit from enhanced learning and
  care environments

11
Caribbean Plan of Action for ECCEPolicy and
Programmatic Responses

• Children will benefit from their experiences
  with a child-friendly interactive curriculum.
• Children will benefit from interactions with
  teachers and caregivers with improved
  professional competencies and skills.
• Children will benefit from their parents
  participation in early childhood programmes.

12
UNICEF and PartnersProgrammes of cooperation

• Access to Education
• Right to Quality care and Quality Education
• Strengthening ECCE
• Support of capacity building initiatives
• Sharing of knowledge
• Supports the process of advocacy through
  implementation.