International Contacts - Part 3 (Alternative Assignment)

Well, with week 7 now here, I have had absolutely no contact with anyone I have emailed. However, I have gained some new insights through browsing the UNESCO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education” webpage.


*UNESCO advocates for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programmes that attend to health, nutrition, security and learning and which provide for children’s holistic development. (UNESCO)

*Global Action Week is from April 22-28, 2012. Global Action Week is a worldwide annual campaign organized by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) to raise awareness of the importance of Education for All. UNESCO actively supports the campaign by organizing activities in its Headquarters and Field Offices, mobilizing networks and encouraging Ministers of Education and all EFA partners to participate.

Under the slogan "Rights from the Start! Early Childhood Care and Education Now!", Global Action Week 2012 will focus on the first of the six Education for All (EFA) Goals:

"Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children". (UNESCO)

*It seems, in many countries, that poor children are not given assistance; rather, they are given "alternatives." I do not see the equity in this as all children deserve the same education as their peers, regardless of income!

              "Countries often promote alternative services for poor children with limited or no access to mainstream early childhood services which can be cost-effective and pedagogically innovative, but often raise concerns about sustainability and quality.  In cases where the government has limited resources, a pro-poor policy can redistribute resources by reducing state support for the more privileged." (UNESCO) 

UNESCO also discusses the quality of a child's education; early childhood programs should emphasize the holistic development to aid in the transition to formal schooling. It stresses the importance of a child developing as a whole. In Early Childhood, that should be the goal of all educators - to aid in the development of a child as a whole. Below are the words written from UNESCO's view on Quality Education.

      "Early childhood care and education programmes should emphasise the child’s holistic development and extend beyond assisting the child’s transition to formal schooling. High quality childcare, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, promotes motivation, confidence, good cognitive and linguistic development and school readiness.

There are no universally agreed criteria for quantifying ECCE quality but useful factors to consider include pedagogy materials, personnel training, service setting and parental education and involvement. Learning materials should be quantitatively, culturally and developmentally adequate and focus on child-centred interaction. Where appropriate curricula exist, there can be problems with implementation with the emphasis remaining on early primary education and preparation for formal schooling due to pressure from parents and the fact that it is easier for teachers than child-centred learning. 

The ECCE workforce is often made up of a diverse group of pre-school teachers, care workers, informal carers and other professionals. Adequate training and work conditions are essential so they can integrate the content and practice of early childhood care and education and address the transition to formal schooling. The service setting and physical infrastructure may vary greatly within countries. Regular inspection and follow-up of the service setting as well as adequate health and nutrition components are also crucial for meaningful learning to take place.

Where government resources are limited, the last year of pre-primary education is frequently placed in a formal school setting or there may be efforts to lower the entry age. Such trends dilute the importance of holistic development by placing too much emphasis on preparing children for formal schooling. However, when pre-primary education cannot be afforded as part of early childhood, it is more strategic to consider ways of improving the pedagogy of pre-primary education placed in the formal school setting. 

Active involvement from parents and communities and relevant play and learning materials ensure that early childhood services remain relevant to the needs of the children and all other stakeholders and increases sustainability" (UNESCO) 

This is quite an interesting website.  If you have an opportunity, I would encourage you to take a look at this site, especially the information on Global Action Week! 

Blessings!

Susan

References:

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/