Tikule limodziLet’s grow together

Child Poverty – Research Scoping Day

Friday 18th November 2016

Anthrologica

ESRC/DFID Education and Development: Raising Learning Outcomes in Education Systems

SDGs: Early Childhood Development

Goal 3, Target: 3.2 By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births

Goal 4, Target: 4.2 By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education

1. Appraise the current state of ECDE services

in LICs including Malawi and the

barriers preventing children from accessing

services, with a particular focus on

disability inclusiveness

3. Identify strategies for improving the

inclusion of children with disabilities in

ECDE services, with a focus on curriculum

and teaching methods

2. Develop tools to address the identified barriers and test them through measuring a range of learning and

development outcomes

4. Make evidence based recommendations to

policy makers to advocate for the

improvement of ECDE services for children with disabilities in

Malawi

Specific objectives

Child

MICROSYSTEM

MESOSYSTEM

MACROSYSTEM

EXOSYSTEM

UN

SDGs

National

ECD Policy

UNICEF

WHO

National

inclusion

policiesFunding

allocation

Home

CBBCs (ECD

centres)

Traditional

Authority

Health

professionals

ClinicsVillage

0-2 TIME

Family

3-5 6+

CRPD

Stage 1

•Comprehensive literature review (global and Malawi situation)

•Spatial mapping (local situation)

•Participatory tool development (synthesising data)

•Training of trainers

Stage 2

• Trial of tools: measure learning (school readiness)and developmental outcome of children aged 3-5 in 42 ECD centres in one district, observations of ECD centres,

• Training of caregivers (pre-school teachers)

• In-depth case studies of children with disabilities

• Semi interviews and FGDs with participants and parents

Stage 3• In-depth interviews with key stakeholders: critical reflection on the process

• Action research to identify remaining constraints and implementation challenges

Outcomes measures• Proportion of children:

– with developmental age equal to actual age.

– who drop out during the study period

– who transition to primary school during the study period

• Proportion of caregiver:– retention rates during the study period

– caregiver satisfaction/ motivation

– changes in the quality of the CBCC environment (in relation to group learning activities, chid-to-child interaction, caregiver to child interaction, provisions for children with disabilities)

• .

Global trends

• Early Childhood Development Index found 37% 3-4 years in 35 LMICs don’t attain cognitive and socio-emotional skills (Lancet series, 2016)

• Estimated 250 million children under 5 yrs in LMICs at risk of not attaining developmental potential (43% of children in 2010)

• Most disadvantaged children are those in poverty, malnourished, disease, poor care, etc.

• 1 in 20 children aged less than 14 years has a disability (UNICEF, 2013)

Stage One: Key findings from Lit review

ECD in relation to the inclusion of children with disabilities is particularly important for many children with disabilities who need the opportunities for stimulation and development of key functional skills. (WHO, 2012)

Tensions

‘Traditional Western’ led approaches to child development and models of training for child professionals - dominated ECD agenda for many years.

VsA more ecological, psycho-culturally sensitive approach grounded in the (human) development of young children and features of their immediate environments, social partners and institutional and cultural systems and values in a low income and low resource setting such as Malawi.

Binary themes

• Generic skills vs Functional Skills

• Culturally sensitive approaches vs imported (Western) approaches

• Child led vs adult led

• School readiness (transition) vs celebrating childhood in its own right

• Training vs facilitators

• Education vs care (or Educare)

Disability prevalence among children in Malawi

• The 2010 Malawi Population and Housing Census show that out of 13.1 million people, 498, 122 were persons with disabilities (3.8%)

• It also showed that 159, 878 children have various forms of disability (2.4%).

• Prevalence of disability in rank order was ‘other’ (35%), hearing (23%), seeing (16.9%), walking (15.8%) and speaking (9.3%).

Thyolo: 42 CBCCs(21 control, 21 intervention)

Stage Two: The trialDuration: 12 months (Jan 2016 – Dec 2017)Sample size: 840 children 3-5 yearsRecruitment of children: between 20- all children in centre (health passports confirm ages)Assessments: Baseline and endline after 12 monthsFGDs/IDIs over 12 months

Control Group Treatment

21 ECD CentresNo intervention

Training of caregivers at end of trial

21 ECD CentresCaregiver training (2

weeks)Teacher logs

Starter pack of materials

Champion caregivers

Stage Two: Total 420 children in Thyolo – 42 CBCCs randomised after baseline to one of two groups:

Stage One: GIS mapping of ECD centres using KoBoCollect

• Mapping of ECDE services in one district

• Follow up questionnaire of CBCCs in district(CBCCs, water pumps, latrines, trained staff, type of structure, etc.)

• Maps helped to identify our trial sites (control and experimental arm)

Stage two: Process

Training of trainers

October 2016

Baseline data collection

December 2016 –

February 2017

Trainers 60 caregivers

February 2017

Caregivers working in

ECD centres

March 2017 –January 2018

Post-intervention

data collection

February –April 2018

Training of 60 caregivers in control group

May 2018

Stage Two: KoBo Toolbox• Washington Group

Questions (on disability)• Malawi Development

Assessment Tool (MDAT)• Child-based community

centre rating scale• school readiness’

questions on basic literacy, numeracy

• Questionnaire to measure caregiver’s satisfaction and motivation

Response Type What it does

Select One User can choose one of several

options

Select Many User can choose one or more of

several options

Text User can enter a text response

Number User can enter an integer

Decimal User can enter a decimal number

Date User can enter a date

Time User can enter a time of day

Date & Time User can enter date and time

together

GPS User can record a GPS location

Photo User can take or attach a picture

Audio User can record or attach audio

Video User can record or attach video

Note User is shown a note (no response

possible)

Barcode User can enter a barcode by

scanning it

Acknowledge User is asked to confirm or

acknowledge something

Calculate* A mathematical expression of

existing values that can be used by

other questions (no user input)

Malawi Development Assessment Tool

Recruitment of centres: Inclusion criteria

• Children: 3-5 years –attend centres regularly over past 6 months

• Secure structure

• Reliable feeding programme

• At least one caregiver providing services to at least 20 children

• Baseline data on CBCC

– Type of structure

– Amenities

– Retention rate

– Staffing levels

– Registered children (including CWDs)

– Parental support groups

– Numbers transitioning to primary school, etc.

‘School readiness’ Development Standards

Literacy

Birth to 2 years 3-4 years 5 years

Child recognises a picture

Child explains a picture correctly

Child tells stories from a picture book, raised diagrams and enlarged objects

Mathematical and Numerical Knowledge

Birth to 2 years 3-4 years 5 years

Child understands the concept of ‘more’ in relation to food and play

Child identifies quantities and comparisons of quantities

Child correctly expresses number concepts using ‘more than’ and ‘less than’

Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale

- General supervision of children (e.g. safety)

- Staff-child interaction (e.g. use of staff voice)

- Interactions among children

- Group time

- Provisions for children with disabilities (e.g. level of involvement in activities)

- Provisions for parents (e.g. sharing of child-related information between parents and staff)

In-depth case studies

• Caregiver pairing with children with different disabilities in ECD centres

• Log books follow progress of children

• Champion caregivers provide support

Child

MICROSYSTEM

MESOSYSTEM

MACROSYSTEM

EXOSYSTEM

UN

SDGs

National

ECD Policy

UNICEF

WHO

National

inclusion

policiesFunding

allocation

Home

CBBCs (ECD

centres)

Traditional

Authority

Health

professionals

ClinicsVillage

0-2 TIME

Family

3-5 6+

CRPD

Linking research with new programme work in Malawi

The project will pilot a small-scale cost-effective model of good quality ECDE for children with disabilities aged 3-8 in 20 CBCCs in 2 districts, underpinned by human capacity development and local system strengthening. Focused advocacy will increase the commitment of national stakeholders to supporting ECDE for CWD.