Final Blog Assignment

I have learned that international early chilhood education is similar to the United States because it respects diversity, it includes laws, as well as provide for the well-being of children by addressing the issue of poverty. My goal is to communicate with international early childhood educators to learn new ideas as well collaborate with international early childhood educators.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts Part 3

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.  the importance of early childhood by including the development of early childhood care and education as the first of its six main goals.

Participating countries committed themselves to “expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.” Governments were particularly urged to expand equitable access to quality early childhood services underscoring the importance of instituting policy in favour of the poor.

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.

Central governments must ensure an equitable distribution of resources among different populations and especially those who live in the most disadvantaged regions. This approach aims to expand access without creating serious regional inequities. However, where there is universal provision for a certain age group while the overall enrolment in other age groups is low, this policy can create inequity.

Privileged children of the target age group benefit from state investment, while poor children of non-target ages receive scant government attention. A policy of universalisation with targeting can minimise inequity where governments aim for universal access among the target age group, but simultaneously prioritise the poor.

 

Three insights that I have gained from this website is to focus on the quality of early childhood education; not just preparing the child for the next grade level; but focus on the holistic development of the child.

 

I learned the importance of preparing educational goals for the children as well as myself.

 

I learned the importance of raising the awareness for quality education for all children; I plan to start attending conferences to continue my knowledge of early childhood education.

Sharing Web Resources

One of the websites that I had not explored until now is the UNICEF website.  The Childcare Transition”, a majority of the rising generation in economically advanced societies is now spending a significant part of childhood in out-of-home childcare. Almost 80 per cent of the three-to-six year-olds in rich countries are in some form of early childhood education and care. For the under threes, the proportion is 25 per cent, rising to more than 50 per cent in individual OECD countries.  Poor quality child care, continues the report, may result in weak foundations and shaky scaffolding for future learning, and what is true of cognitive and linguistic skills is also true of psychological and emotional and development.

High quality early childhood education and care has a huge potential to enhance children’s cognitive, linguistic, emotional and social development,” says Marta Santos Pais, Director of UNICEF IRC. “It can help boost educational achievement, limit the early establishment of disadvantage, promote inclusion, be an investment in good citizenship, and advance progress for women." UNICEF works tirelessly to ensure that every child – regardless of gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic background or circumstances – has access to a quality education. We focus on gender equality and work towards eliminating disparities of all kinds. Our innovative programmes and initiatives target the world’s most disadvantaged children: the excluded, the vulnerable and the invisible.

UNICEF’s work to support community and family care practices that impact the lives of young children not only use health and nutrition interventions but also add early stimulation and interaction.  Similarly, ensuring that young children are developmentally ready for school is an integral part of UNICEF’s education priority.
UNICEF works with families, communities and governments in more than 190 countries to put it right; to protect and promote the rights of all children.

References
UNICEF children rights retrieved from http://www.unicef.org.uk/UNICEFs-Work/Our-mission/Childrens-rights/