Summary, conclusions and recommendations

1
Summary, conclusions and recommendations

• Dennis Sinyolo
• CoordinatorEducation and Employment
• E-mail dennis.sinyolo_at_ei-ie.org

2
Structure of presentation

• Brief highlights
• Main conclusions and recommendations

3
Brief highlights

• 1. The seminar started with opening remarks from
  Ronnie Smith, President of the EI Pan European
  Structure and welcome remarks from John Bencini,
  MUT President
• 2. Hon. Dolores Cristina, the Minister of
  Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, officially
  opened the seminar. She talked about the
  importance of ECE, called for comprehensive
  provision of ECE services and shared information
  about early education services in Malta
• 3. Haldis Holst, Chairperson of EI Global Task
  Force on ECE and Member of the EI Exbo delivered
  a key note address. Haldis enunciated EIs policy
  on ECE and illustrated how early childhood
  education is being tackled on the international
  agenda within UNESCO, the OECD, the EU etc. She
  argued that every child has a right to early
  childhood education

4
Brief highlights (cont.)

• 4. Taipo Saavala, from the Directorate General
  for Education and Culture in the European
  Commission, talked about the role of ECE in life
  long learning strategies within the EU. He shared
  information on the Education and Training 2010
  Work Programme, Communication on Teacher
  Education- 2007, Competencies for 21st Century
  and the Work-Life Balance Package.
• 5. Mathias Urban, from martin Luther University
  in Germany, gave a summary of the findings of the
  ECE study he did for EI. Some of the main
  findings were
• There is continuous increase in access and
  provision
• Acknowledgement of the importance of the
  workforce
• Increasing emphasis on parental involvement
• Focus on governance and holistic curriculum

5
Brief highlights (cont.)

• 5.(cont.) Mathias recommended that EI and its
  member organisations should encourage critical
  thinking, promote holistic paradigms, tackle the
  under representation of child workers in split
  systems develop professionalism, promote
  diversity, invest in research etc

6
Brief highlights (cont.)

• 6. The parallel working groups discussed issues
  around EU/EC policy on ECE, access, funding and
  quality and promising case studies.
• Concerning EU/EC policy, agreements are made
  within the Open Method of Coordination and the
  tools of consultation and research
• Teachers matter-they are the most important
  determinant of educational quality
• Promising case studies/models of good practice
  (not success stories?) should take into account
  education policies, teacher qualifications, the
  role of unions etc

7
Brief highlights (cont.)

• 7. John Bennet gave highlights from OECDs
  Starting Strong. He emphasised the need for
  countries to learn from each other and for EI and
  the unions to continue to call for public funding
  for ECE and to continue to speak up for
  recognition and the rights of ECE workers
• 8. Haldis Holst briefed the seminar about the
  work of the ECE Task Force, the terms of
  reference and action plan.
• 9. Joao Monlevade talked about ECE in Brazil,
  where the provision of day care and pre-school
  services is guaranteed by the countrys
  constitution (though there is no universal
  coverage due to lack of funding).

8
Brief highlights (cont.)

• 10. Marci Young, member of the ECE Task Force
  from the US, gave highlights of the US
• ECE system, which is quite varied-publicly
  funded programmes, private schools/centres and
  in-home programmes
• 11. Peter Moss, editor of Children in Europe
  and ECE expert, shared information about their
  activities, publication and policy document

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Main conclusions and recommendations

• Early childhood education is every childs right.
  Therefore, EI and its member organisations in
  Europe should continue to advocate for the
  provision of quality early childhood education
  for all children funded by public authorities.
  This should include ECE services for children
  under 3.
• ECE systems tend to vary in many countries,
  particularly between public and private
  institutions. Therefore, ECE provision should be
  regulated within countries in order to ensure
  universal access and quality.
• Teachers are the most important determinant of
  educational quality. Therefore, EI and its member
  organisations in Europe should continue to
  advocate for the provision of pre and in-service
  training for all ECE staff, as well as continuous
  professional development and support.

10
Main conclusions and recommendations (cont.)

• ECE teachers are sometimes paid less than their
  counterparts with similar or comparable
  qualifications in the primary sector. ECE staff
  should have the same conditions of service as
  primary school teachers with similar or
  comparable qualifications
• The terminology used to describe early education
  services varies from country to country and from
  organisation to organisation and sometimes tries
  to distinguish between education and care. There
  is a need to have a broader/comprehensive/holistic
  approach to early education services, focusing
  on education with care as its integral part.

11
Main conclusions and recommendations (cont.)

• ECE programmes at the EU level are determined
  through
• open coordination and decided by member
  states. Unions in the EU should lobby their
  Ministers of Education and MEPs in order to
  influence ECE and other education policies within
  the EU. The EI Pan-European Structure and the
  unions should influence the forthcoming 2020
  process
• 5. The ECE study should be revised and
  updated, taking into account the issues raised by
  the seminar participants, published and
  disseminated to all the EI member organisations
  in Europe (and beyond) and other stakeholders.