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Write to us:We look forward to your feedback. Kindly send in your letters, comments and suggestions to:ARNEC Secretariatc/o SEED Institute73 Bras Basah Rd. #07-01NTUC Trade Union HouseSingapore 189556E-mail: secretariat@arnec.net

Write for us:ARNEC covers a large geographical area, totaling 47 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. This publication is one of the many ways that our Network has sought to create a unified regional platform. We provide you with in-depth research summaries, field experiences and unique initiatives from the region that will benefit you as ECD professionals.

ARNEC would like this to be a publication for ECD professionals by ECD professionals. All articles are contributed by individuals who are ARNEC members and/or are working within the field of early childhood.

We solicit articles once every year inviting you to send us your stories and experiences and share them in ways that are useful and meaningful to a wider audience. If you would like to have your article featured in ARNEC Connections, look out for the Call for Articles in May 2010 with more details of the submission process.

DISCLAIMERARNEC Connections is published annually by the Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood. The responsibility for all facts and opinions published in the various contributions are that of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARNEC.

PERMISSIONSNo written permission is necessary to reproduce an excerpt, or to make photocopies for academic or individual use. Copies must include a full acknowledgement and accurate bibliographical citation.

Editorial

Welcome to the second issue of our annual publication - ARNEC Connections: Working Together for Early Childhood (previously

ARNEC Newsletter). We are delighted to announce that this new title was selected from all the suggestions that poured in from our Steering Committee and ARNEC members to represent our aspirations and “connections” we are trying to make between ECD professionals, parents and children, children and children, and children and community, etc. It is our hope that this signature publication of our network will serve and continue to grow as a one-stop resource for articles, research reports, commentaries, reflections, voices, messages, opinions, announcements and bulletins from this region.

This issue features a wide variety of articles ranging from description of ECD programs from different countries, research on ECD service impact assessment and on play in young children’s development, country updates on ECD finance and national policies, to importance of ECD in emergencies, ECD through health sector, and updates from institutions. In addition, we introduce personal reflections, and reports on innovative strategies such as storytelling in making preschool education relevant to communities.

As we look back with pride on our accomplishments as a network and pledge our continuing commitment to the cause of early childhood in Asia and the Pacific, we remind ourselves that promoting early childhood development for all children should continue to be our number one goal. Reaching the unreached and marginalized children in all communities continues to be our priority, and we hope that through platforms such as this publication, we can work together by joining hands and combining our strengths for Early Childhood in this region and beyond!

Best wishes,Junko Miyahara, ARNEC CoordinatorChemba Raghavan, on behalf of the ARNEC Editorial Board

Table of ContentsIntroductionsEditorial ..................................................................................... 2

Table of Contents ...................................................................... 3

ECD ProgramsCommunity-based ECD Playgroups in Afghanistan .................. 4 RAZIA STANIKZAI

Use of Storytelling in Making Preschool Learning Relevant ...... 7NIRALI MEHTA

Phulwari Centers: Scaling up ECE in Pakistan .......................... 9FATIMA SAEED

SUCCEED: An Early Learning Program in Bangladesh ........... 11KAMAL HOSSAIN

Early Steps to School Success: Meeting an Unmet Need ........ 13 MEL BONGA

Early Learning for Child Development: ECD Initiatives ............. 14in BangladeshJASHIM UDDIN MASUD

ECD ResearchCapturing the Impact of ECD Services in Indonesia ................ 16NUGROHO INDERA WARMAN

Tracking Development Pathways of Young Children’s Play ...... 18Behavior in the Home ContextADITI ANJARIA AND HINA MANKODI PhD

The ARAD Cycle: Setting Up a High Quality Employer .............. 20Supported Child Care ProgramVINI GUPTA

Find us online:You can read the articles in this issue plus those that were featured in previous issues on www2.unescobkk.org/ARNEC

Photos (top to bottom): UNICEF Headquarters/HQ04-0541UNICEF Headquarters/HQ06-2496UNICEF Headquarters/HQ06-2543UNICEF/Mongolia

ECD FinanceCosting and Financing in Mongolia ........................................... 22TSENDSUREN TUMEE, PUREV-OCHIR CHAGAA,ENKHEE MAGVAN

A Trust Fund for ECCD in Sri Lanka .......................................... 25PALASIMANY KRISHNAKUMAR

ECD in EmergenciesAddressing the Needs of Young Children in Emergency ........... 27JACQUELINE HAYDEN

ECD PolicySingapore’s Early Childhood Care and Development Policy .... 29KHOO KIM CHOO

ECD and HealthPromoting Early Childhood Development in the ....................... 31Health SectorNURPER ULKUER AND MEENA CABRAL

Institutional HighlightsAga Khan University: Human Development Program ............... 34SEEMA LASSI

A Cross Cultural Solution: Hands to Hearts International ......... 35CHRISTY HUDSON

ReflectionsHow Child-friendly is Early Childhood Education? .................... 36BHUVANESWARI MAHALINGAM PhD

The Mommy Blog ...................................................................... 39 DHANYA PARTHASARATHY

What do I Know About Emergencies? ....................................... 40MARGARETTE CANTWELL

Photos (top to bottom): UNICEF/ThailandUNICEF/MyanmarUNICEF/Papua New GuineaMohammad Rakibul Hasan/Bangladesh

5NO 2. 2009

ECD PROGRAMS

Despite the chronic instability and political turmoil in Afghanistan,

investment in children’s education provides positive signs of hope for the future. Save the Children (USA) has been supporting community-based Early Childhood Development (ECD) playgroups in four provinces of Afghanistan since 2003. The foundation for these playgroups builds upon a partnership of trust between local communities and Save the Children. The community provides volunteer facilitators and the space in which the playgroups are conducted, and Save the Children’s support is in the form of a range of activities including training for the facilitators, and provision of ECD play kits, parenting education and library boxes.

PLAYGROUND STRUCTURE

Ten to fifteen children aged 4-6 in each neighborhood meet three times a week for 1.5 to 2 hours in a safe place, normally the house of the playgroup facilitator. The facilitators are mainly mothers or young women aged 18 to 30 who are the residents of the communities where they facilitate the ECD playgroups. In places with high concentration of returnees and internally displaced people (IDPs), these women are well-positioned to relate to the lives of children as they have had the experience of living as refugees and IDPs. Given the high illiteracy rate in Afghanistan particularly for women, and the lingering impact of Taliban policy of banning women’s education, the majority of ECD facilitators cannot read or write. However, the passion and commitment these women bring to the ECD groups is inspiring.

At these ECD playgroups, the children are involved in free play, structured group play, storytelling, singing rhymes, reading picture stories and puppet shows. Community members are also invited to be part of the playgroups and share stories or give advice to the children.

Halima, a volunteer in Barikab, Qara Bagh resettlement camp for returnees and IDPs, visits the local playgroups every day. She says, “I have had many difficulties in my life. These playgroups give me hope and energy.” Herneighbor, Nasrin says, “We trust in sending our children to a facilitator’s house who is one of our community members. These playgroups have created trust in our fragile communities. It helps us know each other better.” After telling a story to the children, Halima typically asks them what they liked about the story and if they could retell the part they liked, to the rest of the group.

Save the Children provides opportunities for parents to share ways of supporting young children’s development. The topics include: how children learn, playing as learning, making toys from locally available materials, learning from the home environment, behavior management, the negative impact of physical punishment, developing responsibility, and alternative ways to create discipline.

PARENTING GROUPS

Parenting groups create space for parents to talk about their child-rearing practices and the rationale for their behaviors. It is here that some of the norms and beliefs of parents can be challenged. Parenting groups have created a dialogue among community members about what is best for their children in their early years.

To gauge the change in women’s knowledge, attitudes and practices, Save the Children conducts pre and post tests, observations, and also evaluates parents’ feedback. The parents find this shared learning process truly transformative. As the majority of these groups are women, these parenting groups also provide them with a respite from their mundane daily activities and help them to have closer ties with other women in their community, supporting them to grow into reflective and encouraging parents.

In 2008, during a pre-test, Save the Children found that 41 percent of mothers thought that children should only use

Community-Based ECD Playgroups in AfghanistanBy Razia Stanikzai, Save the Children USA

ECD FACILITATOR IN KABUL HAS MADE A TAMBOURINE OUT OF LOCAL MATERIALS.

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ready-made toys, reflecting their lack of appreciation for local materials and the innovative aspect of making local toys. After attending the parenting group, this number decreased to 3 percent. As a response to this finding, Save the Children now organizes workshops for parents and facilitators to train them to make toys out of local materials.

PUPPET SHOWS

One of the most engaging activities for children has been puppet shows. Save the Children identifies local practices that are conducive to children’s development and builds on them. Although puppet shows are not traditionally a part of Afghan culture, Save the Children has been able to train parents in puppetry allowing them to innovatively adjust the activities to the local culture. The activity has proved very effective as it encourages communication between children and has had a cohesion-inducing effect on the children and the parents at large.

In a similar initiative in Bane-Warsak, another resettlement camp for returnees and IDPs, Save the Children invited women to make puppets. The parents were then asked to act out stories that they know, using the puppets they made.

After seeing some of these puppet shows, Save the Children’s Early Childhood Education Officers noticed that the puppet shows have helped unleash both the children and their parents’ creativity. The children started acting out stories that were read to them by the facilitators or used traditional stories that they have heard from their family members for inspiration. Some other children adapted the stories using their own imaginative ideas.

Save the Children officers reported that the children who ordinarily felt too shy to express their opinions or ideas were now comfortable doing so using their puppets. The puppet shows proved to develop children’s creativity and confidence by providing them the opportunity to make puppets, speak

through their puppets and retell the stories they heard or create new stories.

CHALLENGES TO PLAYGROUPS

Despite these inspiring changes, education activities in Afghanistan are fraught with challenges. The challenges in the ECD playgroups have included a lack of men’s participation in parental education and difficulty in encouraging men to serve as facilitators, which is largely due to the ingrained attitude of child rearing as a domestic activity that is primarily the women’s role. It has also been difficult to identify literate female facilitators given the high illiteracy rate in Afghanistan. However, Save the Children’s experience of working with non-literate women in ECD playgroups has proven very effective as these women bring unmatched vitality and commitment to the ECD playgroups. They work even harder so that their children can achieve the dreams of their parents and become educated and literate women of their communities in the future.

EVIDENCE OF PLAYGROUP EFFECTIVENESS

Save the Children tracks children who attend ECD playgroups in order to

assess their performance in school and to document evidence that ECD playgroups are effective in preparing children for primary school. As part of this system, ECD assistants meet with teachers three times per year to see how ECD graduates are performing. Teachers’ feedback about ECD playgroup graduates indicates that these children are more confident, disciplined and cooperative in team work activities.

This year when ECD assistants were collecting information about ECD graduates in school, they learned that Mariam, a former ECD playgroup attendee, was no longer in grade one and her name was not on the attendance sheet. Because they knew Mariam to be a good student, they asked the teacher and school management about her.

They learned that her teacher’s assessment had shown that she was outperforming all other students and was subsequently promoted early to second grade. Mariam is not the exception. There are other, similar examples of ECD playgroup children who perform better academically than their non-ECD peers.

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PUPPET SHOW IN MIRBACHA KOT PLAYGROUP.

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The importance of preschool education and its links to better

retention at primary school level has been well established across the world. In India, the program “Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)” has been running since 1975, for children below six years, in which, amongst other services, children between 3-6 years are provided with a joyful learning experience. Though ICDS is considered to be the largest program for Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) in the world, the coverage is very low. The scheme reaches only 23 percent of the total population in this age group. And even then the quality of the services leaves much to be desired. In order to fill this gap, Plan India in partnership with the Center for Youth and Social Development is running 50 preschools in the districts of Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar of Orissa in eastern India as demonstration sites. Both the districts are dominated by tribal populations, mainly the “Santhali tribe”.

THE SANTHALS

Santhals are the largest adivasi (indigenous) community in the Indian subcontinent with a population of more than 10 million, and they reside mostly in the Indian states of Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Assam and Bihar, and sparsely in Bangladesh and Nepal. An overwhelming majority of the Santhals are dependent on agriculture. The Santhal system of governance, known as Manjhi–Paragana, may be compared to what is often called Local Self Governance. This body is responsible for making decisions to ameliorate the village’s socio-economic conditions.

The Santhal script is a relatively recent innovation. The Santhali did not have a written language until the twentieth century and used Latin/Roman, Devnagri and Bangla writing systems. As none of the existing scripts were sufficient to correctly express the Santhali language phonetically, a need

for the separate script was felt by some visionary Santhals, which resulted in the invention of new script called Ol Chiki by Pandit Raghunath Murmu in 1925 .

STORYTELLING AS A TOOL FOR LEARNING IN PRESCHOOLS

Stories form a link between our imagination and surroundings. They are the key to unlocking a child’s imagination while evoking useful and exciting images which are then consequently explored in the activities being carried out by the teacher/preschool facilitator.

Stories are a medium of reaching deep into a child’s inner world. The emotional identification a child forms with a story’s character, such as tiger, goat or any characters, leads the child to become that character, to experience the sounds, sights, smells and emotions that character lives through. Stories build a bridge between a child’s life and the lessons the stories teach.

India, like many other cultures, has a rich treasure of stories in all of its thousands of written and spoken languages. But

apart from being fun, stories are also an effective medium for learning in the earliest years of child’s life.

They are not only effective tools for language learning but also for introduction of other concepts like colors, shapes, sizes, safety, culture, tradition, science, and environment to the young children in an interesting manner both in informal settings such as the home and in formal settings such as preschools. The Santhali tribe also has a rich tradition of storytelling. Their traditional folk stories express humor, wit, and other aspects of human emotions.

THE PROJECT

The Constitution of India recognizes 22 official languages, but there are many more spoken languages and dialects. And within such diversity, where each state has its own language, culture and traditions, the ‘one size fit all’ approach in programming does not work.

Keeping in mind these combination of factors and its importance not only in better concept formation for the child, but also to transition into out-of-home settings with ease, this project was conceptualized with an emphasis on imparting learning in child’s first language in an interesting manner.

In the past, stories were being used in Plan-supported early childhood centers but not in a systematic manner. Hence the need was felt for a more planned approach which is also context specific.

Along with the usage of stories in local language, it is also important to focus on “how the story is narrated” to the children: The characteristics of the storyteller, the importance of voice modulation, the use of props, the length of the story and children’s attention span are some of the important factors in effective storytelling.

Use of Storytelling in Making Preschool Learning RelevantBy Nirali Mehta, Plan International India

Storytelling as a learning tool:• Promotes an interactive and interesting learning ambience for children • Kindles creative imagination in children• Helps improve the attention span of children and promotes better involvement and participation in group activities and cooperative play• Generates better interest and conceptual understanding about the theme/issue e.g. health –importance of washing hands• Facilitates creativity in the educator, breaking the monotony of daily classroom teaching

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Kathalaya, a Bangalore based organization, came on board as a resource agency to address these needs of the preschool teachers and ECCD facilitators.

The project started with an in depth study that was carried out by Plan and Kathalaya to understand the Santhal culture and document available popular stories through visits to the villages, early childhood centers, meetings with children, community and experts of Santhali language.

Extensive visits to the interiors of the villages and the preschools resulted in deep insights into the culture and traditions of the Santhali. Information was collected on the food, textiles/fabrics, physical features and environments the Santhals live in.

One important finding was that traditional spaces such as courtyards, verandahs, chaupals (open spaces under trees) are no longer used, even though these can serve as effective platforms for raising awareness of community-based early childhood development.

It was also observed that storytelling is a part of the daily routine and is carried out at each ECCD center, but it is mostly in the form of simple narration and hence at times failed to capture children’s attention.

Also, the preschool teachers used stories as a medium of keeping children engaged somehow rather than as a medium of learning.

The findings of this research were analyzed, field- tested and then developed into a “story telling kit” consisting of a manual for the preschool teachers and early childhood facilitators, a collection of stories and storytelling props like posters, masks, puppets, a felt board and a musical instrument. The materials used for the production of the kit are local, non-toxic, locally acquired and cost-effective.

The aim of the manual is not only to address the issue of learning in the mother tongue but also to make the children learn about their local folklore, customs and tradition through these local stories.

These stories have also been translated into Oriya and English for wider dissemination. A total of 30 stories in this collection have been selected keeping in mind the age and attention span of the children’s age group (3-6 years).

This was followed by training on the usage of the storytelling kit with the practitioners.

The training not only introduced the kit but also focused on the aspects like listening skills, voice modulation,

body language, observation, preparing an action plan and selection of story, medium and appropriate props, music and portraying different characters involving children.

LEARNING - THE ROAD AHEAD

The experience so far has been very enriching both for Plan and partner organizations, as well as for the practitioners.

The systematic introduction of this medium of storytelling has helped the teachers in making the environment more interesting and relevant for the children.

The teachers have also realized the importance of using community spaces and hence make the experience not only relevant but real for the child.

The challenge now posed is to further scale up this innovation through the existing government system which first needs to be universalized without losing the focus on quality.

Though small, this has been an encouraging beginning for Plan and further improvisation will continue.

This is not to say that storytelling is the only means for cognitive development but our experience shows that if used systematically it can be very effective not only for children’s development but also to engage the caregivers in the process in a community setting.

A PRESCHOOL TEACHER TELLING STORIES TO HER STUDENTS.

A PRESCHOOL TEACHER IN A TRAINING SESSION.

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Pakistan’s education sector is faced with a multitude of problems.

Its most pressing problem is the significantly high drop out rate at the primary school level.

Pakistan has a less than 70 percent survival rate to the last grade of primary school and more than six million out- of-school children according to the 2008 UNESCO EFA Global Monitoring Report.

Stakeholders’ efforts to alleviate the problem have not borne fruit. The primary reason behind this is the misplaced focus of governmental policies ignoring the root cause of the malaise which is the absence of Early Childhood Education (ECE) facilities for 3-5 year olds.

The official age for joining schools in Pakistan is six years old at which point a child is enrolled in first grade. The average child has no educational training prior to this and spends his days loitering in the streets.

While the education sector has tried to address this gap in the provision of ECE, this has only taken place in relatively well off urban communities.

Children aged 3-5 in rural areas have no access to age appropriate educational facilities. Often the parents are illiterate and unable to introduce their children to rudiments of basic language and math skills. Hence by the time a child joins the formal public schooling system she or he has not acquired basic skills like being able to concentrate that can help in the adjustment to school life.

Consequently, their performance at school is unsatisfactory and parents decide that the opportunity cost of education is too high.

The Children’s Global Network – Pakistan (CGN-P) has tried to address this issue through the introduction of

its pilot program, Phulwari. These are ECE centers catering to children aged three to five years where children are gradually introduced to learning through the use of interactive teaching and learning methodologies.

Classes are conducted for two hours a day, four times a week, eight months a year. The program has been restricted to eight months a year to avoid exposing young children to extreme weather conditions during the remaining four months. The centers are housed within the residences of the caregivers and are within the reach of the community.

The caregivers are provided technical support by the teachers at the local public school. These teachers have helped the caregivers spread the word in the community and in implementing the methodology as they have been trained as mentors by the CGN-P. The curriculum has been designed to slowly and informally introduce young children to schooling and is also tailored to the capacities of the caregivers.

A typical day in the center starts with a morning meeting during which children learn to introduce themselves and also learn about the days of the week, months and the weather.

The teacher also shares life skills with them and conducts group activities. Storytelling is used as a technique to develop language skills.

The CGN-P team has equipped the centers with interactive teaching and learning materials like pattern blocks, story books and stationery. These materials foster math and language skills in children.

CGN-P also guides caregivers on the development of indigenous material and its usage. To ensure sustainability of the program, the caregivers have been allowed to charge a small fee for their services. The caregivers have been

asked to limit the number of children that they admit to ten to fifteen so that each child is given special attention.

This program is an extension of the Family Literacy Program which educates illiterate adults in basic math and language skills to the extent that they can be classified as literate.

The Family Literacy Program links parents’ learning to that of their children and their lessons so that they can help each other and learn together at the same time.

The classes are held on the premises of government schools and the teachers conducting the classes have been trained in the use of age-appropriate interactive teaching and learning techniques.

Learning material is also provided to these classrooms. Phulwari centers are run by graduates of CGN-P’s Family Literacy Program. Initial three day training was conducted to acquaint the caregivers with child centered teaching practices for three to five year olds.

Phulwari Centers: Scaling up ECE in PakistanBy Fatima Saeed, Children’s Global Network - Pakistan

ECE CENTERS PREPARING CHILDREN AGES 3-5 FOR SCHOOL.

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The past year and a half has been life changing for most of these women and their stories are an excellent example of how education can be a life changing experience.

These sentiments are mirrored by Shazia who was a maid working in houses in the “well-off” areas of the city. She dropped out of school after fourth grade due to her family’s pressing financial problems.

She has been contributing to the family’s income for years now but only at the cost of her self-respect and self-esteem. The people in the houses where she worked often treated her unkindly and harshly.

For years she despaired of never being able to escape the miserable circumstances of her life, until one day she heard about CGN-P’s Family Literacy Program. The Family Literacy Trainers convinced her that becoming literate was the first step towards becoming financially independent.

Hence, she joined CGN-P’s Family Literacy Program and graduated from it in 2008. She was selected as a caregiver for an ECE center due to her youthful exuberance and determination to improve her lot in life. Hence, after

attending the CGN-P training for ECE caregivers, she opened her own center and is now running it successfully.

The response of the local community and the parents has also been very positive.

Similarly, Haseena, mother of Abdul Hadi who is 3+ enrolled in Alipur Farash ECE center laments why there were no such centers for her other four children. She says her son is very active and sharp as a result of his interactions at the center.

The success of the centers is a significant move forward towards the spread of ECE in Pakistan particularly

since this is a cost effective model with inbuilt sustainability mechanisms.

CGN-P is now looking to open similar centers all over Pakistan in an effort to scale up the provision of ECE. Having successfully completed the design and piloting of a model, CGN-P has started an advocacy campaign seeking local partners to implement the program in rural areas.

Our efforts have paid off and one hundred centers have opened in child-friendly schools catering to the educational needs of three to five year olds in five districts of Interior Sindh in collaboration with UNICEF.

CGN-P will be working with local partner NGOs that will oversee the day to day implementation.

Similarly, plans to open another 5000 centers at national level are underway. The program is being customized to suit the context that it is being implemented in. For example, in the absence of literate mothers in Sindh, local public school teachers are being trained as caregivers.

While this is a ground breaking step, the magnitude of the task facing us is huge because of the massive population which has to be catered to and limited financial resources. Hence, the need for collaborative efforts from all local, national and regional partners is needed.

YOUNG GIRLS DRAWING IN AN ECE CENTER.

ONE MOTHER COMMENTED, “I FEEL MY DAUGHTER AROOJ WHO IS OVER THREE YEARS OLD IS DOING A LOT BETTER THAN MY SON WHO IS THREE YEARS OLDER THAN AROOJ AND IS IN PREP CLASS. I AM CONVINCED IT IS THE LEARNING IN THE ECE CENTER THAT IS MAKING THE DIFFERENCE.”

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SUCCEED: An Early Learning Program in BangladeshBy Kamal Hossain, Save the Children

SUCCEED is an early learning for school success program, which

works to bring innovation into the education system for all children, including those disadvantaged by poverty, gender, ethnicity and disability. The program prepares children for schools; in turn, schools prepare children. Furthermore, the community is enabled to support the schools and to help children become successful learners.

The program is implemented both at the community level and in the formal primary education institutions. Over the years, in course of the implementation, a number of challenges were encountered in terms of operations and management. At the same time, there have been many successes. This article presents some of the successes and lessons learnt while looking at the challenges and what sort of initiatives were taken to overcome some of the challenges.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

SUCCEED established an affordable preschool model that impacts learning (5-6 year olds); introduced early primary education approaches that sustain learning (6-8 year olds); facilitated the community to take initiatives that support schools and children; and exercised approaches that foster improvement in the education system.

SUCCEED implements 2000 preschools with more than 42,000 children enrolled each year. Around each primary school there are three preschools, one in the primary school and two others in the community to cover the cohort of children in the catchments of the school.

The community provides a classroom and the teachers are recruited from the same community and trained by SUCCEED staff who become invaluable resources in the community.

The parents of preschool children learn

and share their experiences about parenting and borrow books from the “Reading for Children Library” to support in their children’s interest to read.

The primary school component starts with the transition program, a welcoming day, to encourage children to enter primary schools. A reading buddy and mentoring program supports the younger children to buddy with older children who can help them with reading and other school work during their spare time. After school activities also help children in achieving their classroom competencies through interactive math, language and science games through Community Learning Circles. Children also develop their leadership skills and other life skills through the Child-to-Child activities.

COVERAGE

Through linked activities, SUCCEED works with five NGOs in five of the six administrative divisions of Bangladesh. The five regions capture the geographical diversity; varied population groups including ethnic communities; urban poor and disabled groups; and the economically disadvantaged.

SUCCEED covers a total of 919,356 beneficiaries out of which 732,625 are children.

EVIDENCE OF EFFECTIVENESS

To understand the quality and impact of the preschools, a study was undertaken using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) tool, which showed a positive result of 5.5 out of a total score of 7.

These scores are also positively correlated to children’s school readiness. In addition, an impact study in the primary schools has also shown that SUCCEED graduates perform better in all competencies used in the measurement. At the same time, a study

on transition and after school activities has also shown a synergistic effect on performance of children in terms of enrollment, attendance, language and math.

LESSONS LEARNED - SUCCESS FACTORS AND CHALLENGES

Developing a common understanding

SUCCEED is implemented by five different partners in five regions of Bangladesh, which has different organizational and educational philosophies as well as program experiences.

In order to have a simultaneous impact in the five regions, all partners need to have a common understanding of the program strategy, approach and deliverables.

Several initiatives such as orientation and training, workshops and regular partners’ meetings were organized for this purpose. Some of the orientations and workshops were also organized for different levels of staff right from the program organizers to the area coordinators and program coordinators. Commitment and dedication of the staff of the partner NGOs and community volunteers appear to be important factors for the successful implementation of the program.

Preschool teachers training and materials distribution

Effective teaching techniques, appropriate learning materials, positive teacher and children relationships, and child-friendly environments are vital and significant to children’s learning.

To overcome the gaps in training, it was decided that a monthly teachers’ meeting would be a good avenue for teachers to have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills in teaching. It also became a good venue

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for sharing and discussing issues and successes related to preschools.

The set of materials required for running preschools were quite new in the country and were not available in the market immediately. The procurement and distribution of a huge number of materials almost at the same time in all these schools was a challenge for all the implementers. However, after a meeting with the partners, it was identified that certain materials were available in some regions while others had people who could make some of the materials. So it was sorted out in a way that the partners coordinated among themselves to order and procure their materials through relevant partners.

School Assistance Groups for mobilizing schools and community

The School Assistance Group (SAG), which is a support group for school development, contributes towards improving the school environment

so that children’s attendance and performance could be improved.

SAG is a great platform for bringing together concerned government officials, local government representatives, School Management Committee members, parents and other community members for the benefits and improvements of the school.

At a time when schools had a low student attendance and poor school environment, the SAG members began an awareness campaign for the community members (especially parents), to ensure regular attendance of the children in school and to support the children in their proper development from an early age.

The SAG members were also involved in developing the school environment, repairing school buildings, procuring additional benches and chairs, creating playgrounds, and arranging extra teachers to meet teacher shortages.

Relationship with different tiers of government offices

SUCCEED has achieved acceptance from the government, especially at the district and sub-district level. Head teachers of primary schools have been requesting that partner NGOs extend the SUCCEED program into their primary schools.

Having a good relationship with local and regional education authorities and the community made it possible to start preschool classes in primary schools even when formal permission is in the process of negotiation.

The announcement by the government to open these preschools have resulted in the primary schools taking over the SUCCEED pre-primary program and continuing it as a part of their school.

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Obstacles to school success begin very early. Research on healthy

brain development has raised awareness about the significance of children’s early experiences and learning (National Research Council, Institute of Medicine, 2000). From birth, children experience rapid physical, cognitive, social, and emotional changes that are critical to their foundations for school success, lifelong learning, and adult productivity (Clyde Hertzman et al, 2005).

Early childhood development is a “determinant of health, well-being, and learning skills across the balance of the life course” according to the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Knowledge Hub for the World Health Organization.

When children aren’t able to build adequate foundations, the consequences are clear. In the Philippines, most Filipino children from marginalized households and communities face precarious lives beginning with their mothers’ prenatal and birth conditions.

According to the Philippines’ National Plan of Action for Children (2005-2010), the estimated lifetime risk of a Filipina dying in pregnancy or childbirth is 1 percent, significantly higher than the average East Asian/Pacific countries, where the lifetime risk is estimated at 0.36 percent.

The actual Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in the country is 172 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1997, higher than the East Asia/Pacific average of 140 deaths per 100,000 live births.

In terms of infant mortality rates, the trend shows a decreasing rate from 34 deaths in 1993 to 29 deaths per 1000 in 2003. Similarly, under-five mortality is also decreasing: from 48 deaths in 1998 to 40 deaths in 1000 in 2003. However, these lower rates are still high compared to other Asian countries like Malaysia

and Thailand (Philippines National Plan of Action for Children, 2005-2010).

For some children, surviving after birth does not always mean they will thrive and develop to their full potential. Children’s growth and development in the Philippines is oftentimes hampered by malnutrition, diseases, unsupportive behaviors of parents and caregivers, limited or low quality ECD services, and others.

If the above situation persists, school failure will continue to happen. Recent trends in education statistics show declining completion rates, consistent dropout rates and slow improvement in achievement rates in elementary grades (Philippines National Plan of Action for Children, 2005-2010).

Most Filipino children experience difficulty and failure during the first years of formal schooling. A majority of the children who drop out of school do so from Grade 1 and Grade 2; these two grade levels register a 14 percent dropout rate, whereas the overall dropout rate across the six grade levels is at a lower 9 percent. Likewise, repetition rate among grade levels is highest (4.8 percent) in the first grade (Department of Education, 2004).

Given the widespread recognition of the crucial relationship between the early years and later success in school, the importance of supporting children with a continuum of services from birth through the early primary years is clear. With support from the Mattel Foundation, Save the Children has implemented a new global initiative, Early Steps to School Success, a cost-effective, replicable model of action beginning with their mothers prior to birth and carrying children into their early school years.

This program recognizes that there is no magic year that will guarantee success. Children need support throughout

early childhood to develop the health, behavior, and learning skills they need to be successful in school.

In the Philippines, this initiative is piloted in the municipalities of Taguig and Pateros in Metro Manila and the municipality of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato Province in Mindanao.

Specific ECD services for 0-8 year olds were designed for urban poor communities in Taguig and Pateros and for rural underserved indigenous communities in South Cotabato.

The program addresses four goals:

1. Children will enter school with the skills necessary for school success.

Children are supported at every step along the way beginning prior to birth, through working with expectant mothers, and into primary school. Social/emotional development, links to health services, language development, and early literacy education activities for children and parents are provided through home visits, community-based child care centers, and transition to school activities to help build strong foundations of learning for children.

Early Steps to School Success: Meeting an Unmet NeedBy Mel Bonga, Save the Children in the Philippines

A Continuum of Services:

Children will be supported every step along the way through four stages of development:

• Strong Beginnings: Pregnancy through 12 months

• First Steps to School Success: 12 through 36 months

• Stepping Up to School Success: 3 months through 60 months

• Stepping Forward in School: School-age children

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2. Parents will have the skills and knowledge to support their children’s education.

Adults are the most important people in the lives of children. Strong parent-child relationships are critical to child development, and adults outside the home also play an increasingly large role in the early lives of children. Early Steps to School Success initiative helps these adults develop the skills and knowledge needed to enhance their children’s early development. As one tool for supporting caregivers, sites offer regularly scheduled parent/child support and parent education groups in community settings led by trained early childhood development service providers.

3. Home/School connections will be strong.

Families, preschools and schools work

in partnership to support children to confidently take their first steps into school, and to make the most of their first years as primary students. Early Steps to School Success ensures that schools and community agencies initiate “transition to school” activities which connect parents and children to the preschool and school they will attend.

4. Early childhood knowledge and skills in the community, and at the national level, will be significantly increased.

Save the Children works to ensure that children’s local communities are equipped with the knowledge, tools, and service links to support them, and works at the national level to make sure emerging public policies and private philanthropy support an integrated system of early childhood development that begins with pregnancy and

continues through the early primary years.

With Early Steps to School Success, Save the Children is reaching children in their earliest and most critical years. We are building strong foundations for parenting and school success and have become a powerful catalyst in helping children achieve a lifetime of learning.

References: 1. National Research Council Institute

of Medicine, 2000. From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development

2. Clyde Hertzman et al, 2005. International Perspectives on ECD

3. Philippines National Plan of Action for Children, 2005-2010

4. EFA 2015 Targets: Formal Basic Education, Department of Education, 2004

Early Learning for Child Development: ECD Initiatives in BangladeshBy Jashim Uddin Masud, Bangladesh Shishu Academy

Children are the greatest assets and future leaders for any country.

I believe that it is a state’s duty to provide children with an environment that promotes the development of children to their fullest potential.

Bangladesh was one of the first countries to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Since then, the government has established children-related institutions, acts, policies and plans of action.

The government in 1976 established the Bangladesh Shishu (children) Academy (BSA) under the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MoWCA) to ensure that the rights of children are met.

They believe in placing high the importance of children’s needs by prioritizing education, health, nutrition, water supply and sanitation. Though Early Childhood Development (ECD) is

a new concept, there have been several initiatives taken by the government ever since. For example, the MoWCA began an ECD project in 2001, which was implemented by the BSA. The major project activities included advocacy, mobilization and communication; caregiver’s education; school readiness; and networking and capacity building of partner agencies.

With the ECD project launched in 2001, there was hardly any existing structures or capacity in the field of ECD in Bangladesh. However, the project has succeeded in raising awareness significantly among the key stakeholders about the importance of ECD.

Under this project, parents were also given support on child-rearing practices and responsibilities through different mechanisms, such as an orientation session given by field level officers, health workers, elected local government representatives, religious

leaders, teachers and NGOs.

Mass media communication activities also enhanced the caregiver’s knowledge and skills to enable the optimal development of children. The project also successfully created models for school readiness through initiatives such as Early Learning Centers (ELC) for children living in disadvantaged areas.

During the joint Country Program cycle 2001-2005, the Government of Bangladesh and UNICEF implemented another project that empowered caregivers to create safe, secure, stimulating and enabling environments for nurturing children. As a result, the government established a Policy Framework for Pre-primary Education in the context of Early Childhood Development in Bangladesh.

The 2006 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), showed that less than

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15 percent of children ages 36-59 months were attending preschool in Bangladesh. Urban-rural and regional differentials were not so significant (12 percent in urban areas compared to 16 percent in rural areas). In this context, another project titled Early Learning for Child Development Project (ELCDP) was started with added focus on institutional learning opportunities.

The overall objective of the project is to promote age-appropriate interactive care and early learning activities for children ages 0-5 in a safe child-friendly learning environment in centers, homes and communities; and to develop their cognitive, emotional and linguistic abilities to communicate, socialize and learn, and become better prepared for school. The project commenced on 1 July 2006 and will complete on 31 December 2010.

MoWCA is the sponsoring ministry and Bangladesh Shishu Academy (BSA) is the execution authority for the project. Social welfare, youth development and women affairs are the concerned sectors in this project, and UNICEF is the development partner.

The organizations that are directly involved in project implementation are the Institute of Child and Mother Health, National Institute of Population Research and Training, the Integrated Community Development Project - Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board, Grameen Shikkha and BRAC University’s Institute of Educational Development.

Professional bodies like the Maternal and Neonatal Society, Pediatric Society, and the Obstetric and Gynecological Society are involved in this project also. Plan International is directly engaged with the project as a technical support provider.

The vision of the project is for “all children in Bangladesh to be happy, healthy and ready to learn.” The mission: “All children aged 0-6 years will be supported to enhance their intellectual, emotional and physical development through a

program that enables them to grow in their familiar and natural environment.”

Under the project, BSA started 234 model preschools in all 64 districts of Bangladesh. BRAC University and Grameen Shikkha (two private NGOs) have 4100 and 500 preschools respectively for poor children. CAMPE – another NGO – is implementing 200 centers in disadvantaged areas. The Integrated Community Development Project - Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board is implementing 2520 centers with the aim of overall development of children and women in the three hilly districts.

There are 424 early learning centers in 4 major cities - Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi and Khulna. The Research Training and Management International, a refugee-oriented NGO, is implementing 80 Early Learning Centers for the Rohinga refugees in the Cox’s Bazar district.

From January 2009, the BSA has established 365 Early Learning Centers for tea garden children in Moulvibazar district.

Center-based group learning activities

have been initiated for 20,600 children in selected urban slums and for 20,587 children in three districts of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).

Caregivers such as parents, older siblings and extended family members have received messages on age-appropriate interactive care and how to create a child-friendly learning environment in homes from the orientation workshops arranged by BSA with technical support from UNICEF.

The specific objectives of the third National Plan of Action (2005-2010) for ECD is to increase enrolment in ECD programs from the current 15 percent to 30 percent by 2010.

ECD appears to have a strong positive influence on preparedness for school and the later performance achievement of children in school, as indicated by improvements in enrolments, decreases in repetition and dropout rates.

While the government and NGOs have delivered several ECD initiatives, I think more needs to be done for children from poor and disadvantaged groups.

A CAREGIVER AT AN ECE CENTER TAKING CARE OF TODDLERS.

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Does the Government of Indonesia’s Early Childhood Education and

Development (ECED) project improve children’s development and readiness for primary school? What factors (e.g., community cohesion, remoteness, parents’ socio-economic status) contribute to ECED services’ impact? What are the costs per beneficiary vs. the benefits in early childhood outcomes like health status and cognitive ability? How do impacts of the project differ by gender, poverty level, and availability of services already in a village?

These questions and more will be answered through an ambitious and innovative study undertaken by the Government of Indonesia, Directorate General of Non-formal Education, Ministry of National Education. The Ministry seeks to know if its community-based project, which hopes to reach 738,000 children in 50 districts from 21 provinces aged 0 to 6, positively impacts child development outcomes; and if so, the pathways by which it does.

HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION OF IMPACT

In order to understand what works in the ECED project, one needs to know how project beneficiaries fare over the life of the project (and potentially beyond), and what their lives would have been like in the absence of the project. But it is impossible to see children in these two scenarios – one utilizing ECED services in the same village over the same time period, living in the same households, and another in that same situation over the same number of years but not receiving services. So the next best strategy used in this evaluation is to identify a comparison group that is as similar as possible to project beneficiaries.

In the Ministry of Education ECED project, these comparison groups were villages in the same district that were selected to receive a block grant of around USD 18,000 for a range of ECED services over three years, but were randomly selected to receive the project

18 months later. So, children in ten villages per district that receive services at the beginning of the project cycle (time zero) are compared with children in ten villages that receive services in the third stage of the project. (The project works in 60 villages per district in 50 districts out of 430 districts across Indonesia.) This is a credible comparison because all villages selected into the project demonstrated interest (by submitting applications) and need (through a local poverty assessment). In order to examine longer-term outcomes beyond those shown in the first 18 months of the program, the evaluation design also incorporates a second comparison group whereby ten villages that never receive the project are “matched” to ten villages in stage one.

MEASURING CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Implementing an evaluation is not just about setting up beneficiary and comparison groups properly, but also about ensuring that data collected accurately accounts for variables that the project is trying to affect, and captures other interventions that a child may be exposed to – in addition to the project you are trying to evaluate.

The instruments used for the ECED evaluation cover a broad range of local and international measures. None of the standard tools used to measure childhood development, such as the Early Development Index (EDI), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) have been applied in Indonesia before. As such, the instruments were adapted to Indonesian culture and circumstances, which involved testing questionnaires in households to ensure that the questions were well-understood by caregivers. Hence, we had some preparations to make before implementing those instruments, such as training the fieldworkers and also conducting a trial survey to make sure that the instrument

Capturing the Impact of ECD Services in IndonesiaBy Nugroho Indera Warman, Ministry of National Education and Amanda Beatty, World Bank

A CARD SORTING TASK WAS USED BY FIELDWORKERS TO TEST COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE AGE RANGE.

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is comprehensible to the participants.

The translation of the questionnaires had to strike a balance between literal translation and a translation that maintained the intent of the questions while still being easy to understand. The questionnaires had to be translated and back translated many times to achieve this. English seemed to have more words to describe emotions (e.g., worried and anxious could only be translated into “cemas”, or upset and unhappy can only be translated into “sedih”), which made using some questions from international indices like the SDQ and EDI challenging. We also faced other challenges, such as the issue of some districts having their own local language. Therefore, we tried to search for local fieldworkers just in case the respondents didn’t understand the instrument’s instructions. (Indonesia is known to have more than 200 local languages).

The sample households included only those with children aged one and/or four. The purpose of selecting children of these ages was to watch children over a wide range of development stages. Since we will be following these children over the life the evaluation, they will be aged four and seven by the end line survey. Children aged one at baseline will be followed and assessed in terms of health and parenting outcomes, while data on children aged four will yield information about pre-kindergarten and school readiness.

Five questionnaires were used and the main focus of each questionnaire was:

1. Child: Included anthropometrics and the EDI, SDQ and Ages and Stages. The EDI measures physical health, emotional maturity, social competence, language and cognitive development, and communication skills. The SDQ measures primarily social and emotional skills. Ages and Stages measured the same developmental domains in the younger cohort. We also included a card sorting task to test cognitive development across the age range. These questionnaires involved a

combination of one-on-one “interviews” or “observations” by the interviewer or “tests” with the child. 2. Household head: socioeconomic background, family structures, village integration/participation3. Primary caregiver: health of child, parenting practices, knowledge of ECED and available services4. Village head: village characteristics such as infrastructure, child safety, access to services generally, local assets 5. Midwife and village child center: availability, clients, cost of ECED services

FROM THE SHORES OF JAVA TO THE “HUTAN” OF KALIMANTAN

Baseline survey work took place in the first half of 2009 in 6200 households across nine districts. The fieldwork was filled with adventure. There were several teams who spent a month in the forests of Kalimantan, sometimes traversing 100 kilometers from one village to the next, in heavy rains and slippery dirt roads. Fieldworkers tried to stay presentable for household interviews, but it was hard to avoid slipping off motorbikes into the mud. In Lombok, eastern Indonesia, some teams tracking households in conflict-affected areas could not even bypass districts after dark because of safety concerns.

Building rapport with the children was one of the most challenging parts of

the fieldwork since many children were apprehensive around strangers. In one example in central Java, after repeated attempts at trying to get to know a child in his home, the fieldworker came to the child’s early childhood center and volunteered as a “teacher” for the morning to build trust with him. Only then was the child willing to open up to the fieldworker and go through with the child tests.

DATA AND DISSEMINATION PLANS

The data are not quite yet ready for analysis, but the Directorate of Early Childhood Education is gearing up for presentations within the Ministry of Education, to the Planning Ministry, and at international conferences.

Our plans for the baseline data mainly include showcasing a profile of ECED clients so that the project can better serve them. We intend to describe the state of ECED services and usage, children’s health and developmental status, parents’ general knowledge of ECED services, community level resources, and how Indonesian children compare to peers in other countries (by using the EDI and SDQ). We also hope that these data can support our mission of raising awareness about the early years and the importance of school readiness. In later survey rounds, we intend to see how these factors change over time, and how the project is affecting them.

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Tracking Development Pathways of Young Children’s Play Behavior in the Home ContextBy Aditi Anjaria and Hina Mankodi Ph.D, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda

A MOTHER SHOWING LOVE AND TALKING TO HER YOUNG CHILD.

In the contemporary Asian scenario, it is relevant to study play patterns

of children because there are several alternatives for engaging in leisure-time activities.

There is a shift from traditional play and the use of local indigenous resources to the use of commercially available and often mechanized play materials and toys, including technological advancements and accessibility of media like television, computer games, and cell phone games.

Parents’ perceptions of play and the use of resources may also influence the quality of play. Children throughout the world play. Play is global in nature; however, the methods and kinds of play may be different in different cultures. Play is very vital for development and has an important role in the development of children. It allows children to gain mastery over tasks or a given situation. It enables children to gain knowledge from the surrounding environment. It also serves as a stress buster.

Play generates enthusiasm in children as they manipulate objects, explore them and learn divergent ways of finding out solutions. Creativity comes naturally to children when they play. They create their own new world when they play. Play enables acquisition of knowledge through discovery of natural phenomena and other environmental resources.

The most interesting aspect of young children’s play is that they rule the world of play! They are the ones who take all the decisions regardless of whether these are correct or incorrect ones and enables children to construct knowledge about the world around them. All children in the world, regardless of social status, family background, religion, caste or creed have a right to play.

RESEARCH DESIGN

The broad objective of the study was to understand the play behaviors of children in the home context and gain insights about associated developmental trends. The study was descriptive with a cross sectional design and included naturalistic observations. A descriptive research design was used for the study with the aim of describing play behaviors of children with focus on toddlers, preschoolers and primary grade children in the home context and developmental changes across ages.

Naturalistic observations were carried out in the home context to study the play of children of three age groups in relation to themes, resources, aims of play, role of adults, types of play and the nature of interaction between family members and children with regards to play.

Observations also included the verbal

interactions of children and family members, “verbatims” indicating verbal expressions in the mother tongue, actions and emotions expressed by children.

Each child was observed for three slots of 20 minutes with a time gap of two to three days between slots. The second or third observation was done on a regular holiday, a Sunday, to observe the children’s play in relation to the father or other family members who were generally not present on regular working days. Data were not collected on a festival day or a special event of the family. The total duration of observation of 60 minutes per child comes to 1800 minutes in all.

SAMPLE

The sample for the study consisted of 30 children, ten from the age group of 2-3 years, ten from 4-5 years and ten from 6-7 years and comprised of equal

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number of boys and girls.

TOOLS

The Observational Guideline was used as the tool in order to give direction and focus and consistency in the process of observation. The guideline was formulated based on a review of literature and pilot study.

CONCLUSION

Based on the findings and observations, a clear developmental trend in the play behaviors of children could be noted. Toddlers were influenced by the resources from the immediate surroundings and parents. There was a steady progression observed in the development in terms of usage of resources, aspects which influenced children’s play like interactions with the family members, peers, and the themes which children selected while engaging in play situations at home.

References:

Punjabi, B., 2007. Play profiles of preschool children in the home context. Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara.

FINDINGS AND OBSERVATIONS

• Social play occurred the most in all the children irrespective of age and gender, followed by physical play and cognitive play. Study and play occurred 7.6 percent times in primary grade children.

• Preschool children were found engaging in associative play in which they borrowed and shared play materials and activities with other peers. Primary school children were found to be engaged mostly in co-operative play. Primary school children specifically displayed division of labor. A previous study on play patterns of children in preschool settings had also concluded that children mainly indulged in pretend, associative and co-operative play more. (Punjabi, 2007)

• The major intention of play for children was fun and enjoyment. However, with progression in age and academic involvement, play was considered a routine activity for children. Mothers’ responses from the interviews revealed similar patterns.

• Play usually co-occurred with television viewing and was an associated activity for most of the times regardless of gender and age.

• Younger children used more simple and representational resources, however with increasing age, the use of resources became more inter -connected and integrated during play. Indigenous and natural resources for play were used comparatively less, perhaps attributable to the influence of urban life and the use of technology.

• Most families could afford and preferred to buy different kinds of resources which included both one and multidimensional resources. The parents also were observed to encourage playing with those resources more.

• Mothers acknowledge the value of play but with the increase in age irrespective of gender, they gave more preference to academics over other play activities.

• Mothers participated in children’s play; however, mothers perceived their role in children’s play primarily as supervisors and based on their convenience in terms of time and household work load.

• Results also indicated that children frequently interact with family members, peers, siblings, neighbors which leads to increased social interaction during children’s play. It can be inferred that familial interactions matter a lot when play is going on in the home context. And thus awareness amongst parents could be created regarding family and societal interactional patterns of children and its impact on play.

• It was observed that mothers of a “lone child” and a first born child spent more time with the children in comparison to mothers of children who were playing with “second borns”. The attention of mothers of children who were playing with second borns was observed to be more co-occurring than exclusive.

• Children who are second born used play resources which belonged to their older siblings. However, if the older sibling was of the opposite sex, resources like dolls were not given to boys. New toy cars were bought in for younger boys. In the case of younger girls with an older sibling being a boy, old toy cars which were used by them were given to girls for playing. This is interesting because the mothers’ perceptions also show the gender stereotypic expectations in play of their children as they grow in age.

• Observations also revealed that parent encouragement during play increased children’s motivation for play. It also influenced the kind of play and the use of resources.

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The ARAD Cycle: Setting Up a High Quality Employer Supported Child Care ProgramBy Vini Gupta, ICF International

This article explains the application of an ongoing cyclical system called

ARAD (Assessment, Reflection, Action, Documentation) to set up a quality employer supported child care program in India.

Recent changes and challenges in workforce demographics and the influx of more women into jobs have created a need to attend to work-life programs for employees more than ever.

To add to the challenges faced by working parents in India, finding a reliable and high quality child care within reasonable costs is a daunting task. Unable to find reliable quality childcare, many employees are unable to focus at work, quit their work or look for other workplaces with better work-life balance. This impacts a company’s finances and the return on investment on employee hiring, training and incentives.

Companies are also raising concerns especially over women leaving the workforce as they have been recognized as valuable assets in adding diversity, creativity and productivity to workplaces. To address these issues and to retain women, companies are increasingly looking at gender inclusivity and work-life initiatives, especially in relation to child care support.

A child care support program can only work as a strategic work-life initiative and provide best returns on investment if it satisfies the parents (employees). If the parents are not satisfied or comfortable with the quality of care being provided by the center, the company’s purpose of the initiative is lost. Instead of accolades, the company may be held liable that proper care and procedure was not followed to ascertain that a well qualified provider was given the responsibility of taking care of children. Hence, the bottom line is to carefully select a child care provider

who has the potential to provide a good quality center which is safe and developmentally appropriate for children. The need for careful selection of such a center becomes even more important in a country like India, where there are as yet no mandatory child care quality standards to be followed.

A critical step in establishing an employee sponsored child care program is the process of selecting a vendor to set up, maintain and ensure the high quality that parents demand and children need. To this end, ICF International implemented the process of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for provider selection using the ARAD cycle to ensure that the employer was able to provide high quality child care support to its valuable employees. The RFP process, especially with parents’ involvement and documentation of each step ensured transparency and accountability to reduce the risk of liability to the employer.

ARAD is comprised of four phases: Assessment, Reflection, Action and Documentation. It is used both proactively and responsively to meet the needs of early education programs.

ARAD is an ongoing cycle that does not have a definite start or end in a project. It involves many mini cycles throughout, back and forth, to help achieve high quality programs with transparency and involvement of all stakeholders, scientifically and objectively.

ARAD was applied in this RFP process. The first step was an assessment of the needs of the employer, employee and the set up. Baseline information from the employer was collected about the space available, number of employees, facilities available on site such as medical care, finance and other logistics that the employer was planning to or could provide. This was followed by an

online employee needs assessment to assess current and future child care needs of employees, the ages of children, types of programs required such as infant care, after school care, timings of operation and so on.

The results of the vast information collected went through a process of reflection which contributed to understanding the needs and characteristics of the target group and identify the specific requirements of the program. For instance, it was found that the immediate number of children needing care was less, the ages were varied and the space too could not accommodate many different groups or ages at a time. There was a need to identify how and where needs of the other children could be met. This information was used to draft the RFP to help guide prospective providers to respond with a proposal that answered to the parents and employer needs.

These thoughts and reflections turned into actions to achieve the objectives of a high quality child care program. We fixed the ages and group sizes needing immediate care and recommended ways of accommodating children who could not be enrolled at the beginning, for instance, by identifying providers who not only could provide on- site care, but also had other branches to take in additional children.

All data and reflections were translated into concrete actions. A potential list of providers was identified who could meet some of the preliminary needs. An extensive RFP form was developed (in consultation with the employer) which requested detailed and specific information from the providers such as their experience in operating centers, budget planning, and the standards they followed such as record keeping, teacher-child ratio, curriculum, philosophy, safety and hygiene

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measures, professional development plan, qualifications of staff, flexibility to add in new programs, etc.

ICF International developed a rating scale to objectively review all information received by the providers. It was found that many providers did not keep any proper records, did not have an understanding of the needs of a corporate child care, did not have satisfactory retention strategies and were not well versed with international levels of child care standards.

Based on overall ratings and review, three of the best providers were shortlisted and visited by the ICF International staff, employer and employees (parent representatives).

Interviews and observation schedules were prepared before hand, based on gaps identified in the responses received and also to ensure that the written responses matched the actual set up. The data collected again went through

a process of reflection, action and documentation. The consensus was that none of the programs could completely satisfy quality desired by parents and child care experts. It was recommended that a provider be chosen who met the requirements to the maximum and would commit to improve on pinpointed areas that were found lacking, within a given time frame. Based on written responses, observations and interview, a concise documentation followed. In some cases it was also noted that providers were good at specific areas but could not document it well in their proposals. Those gaps were filled in by observations and interviews.

A document was prepared to highlight each provider’s strengths, areas needing improvement and how they could be supported by the client to achieve desired quality. This was followed by a recommendation by a Steering Committee of the client to ensure smooth functioning between the committee and the provider.

ICF International delineated roles of Steering Committee members that would oversee specific aspects of the provider and ensure that the provider honors its commitments to deliver and improve on what they promised.

All tools, checklists, reports were maintained at each step and referred back while moving forward. The documentation not only provided records of the procedure but a reference to anyone who may want to know how the provider was selected, what the expectations and commitments were and areas needing improvement. The documentation could also be used later to contact other providers if the one running the center did not meet expectations.

The above example illustrates the value of the ARAD as a systemic sustainable tool. Each step of the ARAD process is indispensible, complements each other and aids in moving forward.

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Mongolia is a landlocked country nestled between Russia and China.

The population is just over 2.7 million, with one million living in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city, and the rest disbursed over 1.6 million square kilometers.

With a cold, harsh climate and short growing seasons, Mongolia experiences periodic severe winters, known as zud, a natural calamity by heavy snow storms, as well as frequent droughts. The Mongolian economy has grown steadily at an average 8.9 percent over the last few years (2003-2008). Despite the rising figures, 35.2 percent of the country’s population live in poverty.

Population growth in the country is low and falling. The annual growth rate was 1.4 percent in 2007. Life expectancy at birth is currently 66.54 years (63.13 for men and 70.23 for women). Nearly two-thirds of the population is under 30-years-old (11 percent of total population is under 6 years old).

Over a million people live in rural areas, and many still engage in traditional livestock herding as their main source of livelihood. With rapid rural-urban

migration, nearly three-fifths of the total population currently lives in urban areas (Ulaanbaatar city and the 21 provincial centers), and Ulaanbaatar receives a great deal of migrants from rural areas.

More than 50 percent of the population lives in traditional gers, traditional Mongolian dwellings, and in peri-urban areas. These areas experience higher disparity in accessing basic infrastructure such as transportation, roads, communication, sanitation facilities, and have limited access to basic services such as safe drinking water, alternative modules of pre-school education and health care facilities.

In the 2008-2009 academic year, 136,200 children were enrolled in 764 kindergartens throughout the country. Of these kindergartens, 88 percent were public, 10 percent were private and the remaining 2 percent belonged to various organizations. Of the 12,500 people employed in preschool education, 7184 were teachers.

BUDGETING AND COSTING: ECE

In 2008, the Government of Mongolia

spent 25 percent of the national annual budget income on the education sector. From this total spending on the sector, 17 percent was devoted to early childhood education, which is a 95 percent rise from previous government budgetary allocation. In addition, the support of national, international, and individual donors still plays an important role. International organizations support for the construction of new kindergartens and for repairs on existing buildings. The FTI-EFA, UNICEF, the European Union, Save the Children (UK) and other international agencies also donate toys and training supplies of 1,800,093 million tugrugs to each of 21 aimags and metropolitan kindergartens in order to support alternative modules of preschool education training.

The provincial and metropolitan educational authorities, as well as district departments for social development receive their budgets from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, and submit to the government their long-term action plan. The authorities have been entering into executive agreements with the government office since 2002, in accordance with the Public Sector Management and Finance Law of Mongolia.

The budgetary allocation for educational and scientific establishments was 393.8 billion tugrugs in 2008. The Mongolian currency exchange rate is 1 USD : 1444 tugrugs (Mongol Bank, 14 October 2009). From this budget, 68.1 billion tugrugs was spent on early childhood education.

The early childhood education budget is based on the calculation of five types of costs:• Capital expenditure – building new

facility, capital repair, equipment and furniture

• Centralized measures – training and practical, per diem for domestic trips

Costing and Financing in MongoliaBy Tsendsuren Tumee, UNICEF Mongolia; Purev-Ochir Chagaa, Save the Children; Enkhee Magwan, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science

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• Fixed costs – heating, electricity, fuel, water and sanitation

• Variable costs – wage and benefits, social insurance, training supplies and communication cost

• Food costs – food and nutrition for children

According to the Mongolian Law on Public Sector Management and Finance, the principal of a kindergarten is obliged to make a contract with the local governor on the efficiency of the activity, which is expected to be fullfilled in a given year. All main efficiency indicators such as enrolment rates, preschool education standard performance and the professional skill progress of teachers are all used as indicators for the contract and the expenditures which should be covered by the state budget are stated as well.

However, each local area kindergarten is entitled to make a contract with any institution desired due to the lack of fixed indicators to estimate the efficiency of the school’s activities. For instance, every kindergarten develops its own indicators to evaluate preschool education standards, which are used as main indicators for evaluating preschool education acquisition.

The lack of standardized evaluation methods makes comprehensive evaluation and monitoring at a nationwide level impossible. In order to properly allocate budgetary amounts by making possible the estimation of educational efficiency and to measure the efficiency of educational services in a more economically sound way , it is crucial to develop and implement school readiness indicators and comprehensive evaluation methods in accordance with the national curriculum of preschool education.

The Law on Preschool Education states that meal costs for children who attend formal and non-formal educational settings is entirely covered by the state budget. The Government of Mongolia adopted a Law on Pre-school Education in May 2008. Before the adoption of this law, preschool education issues

were addressed by a few articles of the Primary and Secondary Education Law.

The new law is specific as it legalizes alternate training modules of preschool education services and requires every child to be enrolled in early childhood educational activities.

It can be said that as a consequence of this new law, the performance, attendance, and average hour per child attendance in kindergartens has increased, even in the non-formal kindergartens for preschool education, such as the mobile ger-kindergartens.

Box 1: Mongolia ECE System ProfileEducation Status Preschool EducationGoals • Universal coverage

• Stimulation and development• School readiness

Age group concerned Between the ages of 2 to 5 years oldModels • Center-based

• Home visitingProgram types • Formal (kindergarten)

• Non-formal: Alternative training modules for preschool education (mobile ger-kindergarten, mobile teachers)

Program context • National standards• National curriculums for formal and non-formal

preschool educationDuration • Formal (kindergarten) 190 days in a year, starting

September 1 - June 1• Non-formal (alternative training modules) at

least 72 days in a year, starting from June until September

Classroom ratio 1 teacher : 28 children

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On the other hand, local financial department officials have been overseeing the kindergartens’ budgets based on a child per day plan performance, without considering the increase in numbers of children. This is negatively affecting class size in Mongolian kindergartens.

CONCLUSION

Continual increases in preschool enrolment have been achieved, largely as a result of introducing free preschool feeding programs and financial support for private kindergartens and non-formal kindergartens.

By 2009, early childhood education enrolment has reached 57.3 percent in formal kindergartens and 15.8 percent in non-formal kindergartens.

On the other hand, enrolment achievement must be matched with government support for increasing physical capacity, and for developing

qualitative monitoring tools for early childhood education services in both formal and non-formal terms.

Early childhood institutions are requesting an appropriate estimation of efficient costing for kindergartens.

The Government of Mongolia has increased its investment in early childhood education by 95 percent, which is higher than the international standards. However, there is a need to improve monitoring mechanisms for the efficiency of estimate planning and expenditures.

One of the major priorities should be capacity building for preschool managers’ and local officers’ information and communication technology (ICT) based on their financial management skills, as well as to develop an evidence-based approach for financial planning at both a local and national level.

References:1. Bradon, Richard N., Sharon Lynn

Kagan, and Jutta M. Joesch, 2000. Design choices: Universal financing for early care and education, www.hspc.org

2. Jan van Ravens and Carlos Aggio. Expanding early childhood care and education: A tool to estimate costs, Coordinators’ Notebook No. 30, 2008

3. EFA Global Monitoring Report, Early Childhood Care and Education, 2007

4. Law on Preschool Education, Mongolia, 2008

5. Law on Public Sector Management and Finance, Mongolia, 2002

6. Mongolian Education Sector Master Plan update and revising report on early childhood education sector, 2009

7. Review of the integrated early childhood development policy implementation, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Mongolia, 2007

8. Development data and statistics: www.worldbank.org/key

9. Statistics of Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, 2008

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The tsunami of December 2004 affected more than one million

children, disrupting the lives of many thousands of children living in the poor coastal communities of Sri Lanka.

It destroyed homes, schools and villages, killed siblings, parents and other relatives and fractured communities and community life. It also undermined the ability of parents to provide for and educate their children by removing their livelihoods.

The exceptional public response to the tsunami from around the world offers an opportunity to go beyond the normal response to emergencies: to make a deeper and more lasting impact, which tackles some of the underlying issues that inhibit children’s development in those communities.

Save the Children has been exploring a number of ways to “build back better”: one of which is the establishment of a Trust Fund for Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD).

The early stages of child development are a major focus of Save the Children in Sri Lanka’s (SCiSL) work. These are some of the most critical and formative years for the healthy and holistic development of a child.

Save the Children’s investment over the last two decades in ECCD included support in construction of buildings, salaries of selected teachers, teacher training, curriculum development, and in the development of both national and provincial level ECCD policy.

Even though Sri Lanka places great importance on education at the policy, administrative, societal and household levels, ECCD lies outside the statutory system of provision. Apart from a very small number of local government-funded preschools, all ECCD provision is financed and managed from fees paid by the families of those who attend.

It is difficult to ascertain the numbers of children accessing ECCD nationally as various statistical reports are impossible to reconcile. Similarly, what actually is meant by “ECCD” is not defined. ECCD provision ranges from a couple of hours “child-care” to day-long structured kindergarten activities.

Nationally, there are approximately 18,000 preschool teachers in 12,000 ECCD centers of various kinds. In 2004, a total of 64 percent enrolment rate in preschools was reported, and the Children’s Secretariat has been working on plans to envisage that this will be boosted to 80 percent by 2009.

The reasons given for non-attendance are economic and social; parents cannot afford the fees, or do not value ECCD. A figure for the average funding per child as a percentage of GDP per capita is not available because ECCD has not been the responsibility of the national government yet.

After the tsunami, tuition and other fees became very difficult, and many households were simply unable to pay. In many situations, fees have been waived. SCiSL and other agencies increased teachers’ remuneration with supplementary payments of 1500 Sri Lankan Rupees per month, and the vast majority of children have restarted preschool. There are also instances where the teachers are paid by the community. In many cases, although a fee is set, children are accepted at the preschool even if they cannot pay, and the teacher simply absorbs the shortfall in her income. The resultant low income has a serious and negative knock-on effect, as retention of teachers is low, decreasing quality and increasing the cost of repeated cycles of training.

A FEASIBILITY STUDY

A feasibility study explored the possibility of creating trust funds for ECCD in Sri Lanka. The study focused primarily on

the needs of preschool children in 13 coastal districts out of the country’s 25 districts, which were affected by the tsunami.

It explored the gaps and weaknesses in provisions, both before and after the tsunami, at the national and provincial levels of government and administration, as well as at the point of delivery.

The study explored the possibility of provisions for ECCD by the government, Save the Children in Sri Lanka and other agencies, including international and local non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, commercial organizations and private individuals.

Based on the recommendations of the study, SCiSL has been working on the establishment of an ECCD Trust Fund (ECCDTF) to be managed by an appropriate national ECCD board of trustees comprising government and non-government, private sector and well wishers; designed to pay ECCD teachers’ salaries at a reasonable level and in a sustainable manner; and also to provide grants for quality inputs such as training, development of training materials and technical assistance.

Such a Trust Fund can provide a flexible vehicle for a variety of types of funders to contribute to, and also for options concerning its future structure and lifespan, to be determined at a later date.

The ECCDTF would utilize the interest from a large capital sum invested appropriately and managed by the Board of Trustees. It would initially operate in all 13 tsunami affected districts and later be expanded as a national program to cover the entire country.

JUSTIFICATION FOR AN ECCD TRUST FUND

• Creation of a trust fund would

A Trust Fund for ECCD in Sri LankaBy Krishnakumar Palanisamy, Save the Children in Sri Lanka

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provide a mechanism for the reliable payment of teachers’ salaries leading to a more stable and better trained workforce and consequently more quality preschool education.

• It would serve to raise the profile of ECCD and thereby prioritize it in the policy environment. There is potential for generating large-scale impact and leaving a lasting legacy: the fund can act as a catalyst for a more holistic and integrated approach to ECCD provision, fundamentally altering provision of ECE nationwide (as a relatively larger proportion of the population was affected by the tsunami this creates a real opportunity to have a nation-wide impact on government policies on ECCD). The fund would be set up with the aspiration that the government would in due course be ready and able to take on the responsibility of ECCD provision.

• The study found interest among other international NGOs and donors, and concluded that it would be an attractive option for bilateral funders in particular. It thus provides an opportunity for NGOs, private organizations, bilateral/multi-lateral donors and UN agencies to move together in this area. Other donors/

actors are probably more likely to invest both time and money in an independent mechanism.

• It builds on Save the Children’s strengths and areas of specialization in education and child development. The fund would bring the work of SCiSL on ECCD over the past 10 years full-circle as it fills long-standing gaps and addresses identified needs.

ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR

• SCiSL has managed to convince ECCD stakeholders including government and non-government actors.

• A MoU between the SCiSL and Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Empowerment (MoCDWE) has been signed.

• An ECCD Board of Trustees has been formed. It includes senior representation from the MoCDWE and the Children’s Secretariat, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry Local Government and Provincial Councils, the Ministry of Finance, a local NGO (Sarvodaya), and an academic (retired ECCD professor).

• Four sub-committees have been set up to specifically focus on:

teacher training, developing criteria for selection of beneficiaries, setting out operational and implementation strategies and fundraising.

• MoCDWE has taken over the leadership of this program and has organized two preliminary board meetings where operational modalities such as selection of investment strategies, selection of bank, opening of accounts, inputs to the draft trust deed were discussed.

• A paper outlining the ECCD trust fund program strategy and implementation has been approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. It was further supplemented with an amendment approved by the cabinet to develop a trust deed.

• A trust deed has been drafted with inputs from different stakeholders and revised by the Attorney General’s Department.

FUTURE PLANS AND WAY FORWARD

• Once the ECCDTF deed has been approved by the government, the money reserved by SCiSL will be transferred to the bank account of the ECCD TF Board.

• The ECCD TF Board will meet regularly and decide on the management of the current fund and further fundraising.

• The Board will approve the selection criteria of beneficiaries and finalize the list.

• 500 ECCD teachers from the 13 tsunami affected districts will be given allowance of 2025 SLR every month. This will be in addition to what they get from the parents and communities.

• A local bank will facilitate the transfer of money directly to the beneficiary ECCD teachers in the districts.

• The Board will continue to have meetings to discuss further development, challenges, monitoring of the fund and ways forward.

A TRUST FUND CAN ACT AS A CATALYST FOR A MORE HOLISTIC AND INTEGRATED APPROACH TO ECCD PROVISION.

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Addressing the Needs of Young Children in EmergenciesBy Jacqueline Hayden PhD, Macquarie University

Incidents of environmental disasters and conflict in the “ring of fire” and

beyond, have prompted increased attention to the need for effective interventions. These interventions address prevention, preparedness, post crisis interventions, and which contributes to sustainable long-term outcomes. Billions of dollars are being spent on such programs. Most commonly, these target immediate needs for shelter, food, water and sanitation, health and welfare services, and infrastructure development.

However, there is growing awareness that recovery to pre-existing conditions is not adequate. Emergency and disaster incidents are likely to incur long term psychosocial, cognitive and health related damage for affected individuals and especially for children

in their formative years (IASC, 2007). Children between the ages of 0-8 represent the highest percentage of affected populations in today’s global emergencies, and yet this cohort remains significantly under serviced, and is rarely factored into emergency relief programs (UNICEF, 2007).

There are several reasons for this neglect. Some analysts believe that the critical importance of the early years on long term development is simply not recognized. Others view that interventions with very young children are not welcome or deemed appropriate as they undermine the responsibility and relationship of primary care giving.

However, the long term effects for young children could represent some of the most harrowing consequences

of any emergency or disaster situation. Stress, distress, separations, exposure to scenes of violence and destruction and loss of significant others during early life have been shown to affect the developmental trajectory and are correlated to lifelong outcomes such as health defects, neurological damage, antisocial behaviors, violence, and cognitive regression (Grantham-McGregor et al., 2007).

Meanwhile, there are myriad studies which attest to the inherent resilience of children (Ruschena, Prior, Sanson & Smart, 2005). Early childhood programs set up under extreme conditions have shown to be effective in ameliorating the effects of deprivation and fear and in serving as entry points for psychosocial healing of children, caregivers, families

CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 0-8 REPRESENT THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF AFFECTED POPULATIONS IN TODAY’S GLOBAL EMERGENCIES, AND YET THIS COHORT REMAINS SIGNIFICANTLY UNDER SERVICED.

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and communities (See Connolly & Hayden, 2007).

A recent study of children in Southern Thailand raised some previously unheard voices of young children (UNICEF, 2008). It was shown that young children have sensitivity to issues around them and can provide directions for ameliorating the psychosocial conditions in tension ridden environments. Indeed children, especially in targeted early childhood programs, can be the purveyors of reconciliation and peace in deeply divided societies. There are numerous examples in which the development and delivery of early childhood programs have helped to re-focus the attention of adults away from divisions and onto hope for the future wellbeing of their children.

In Albania, where blood feuds and honor killings were creating isolation and fear within communities, a program which gave men significant roles as advisors for early childhood programs, became the first step towards establishing trust and overcoming the historical divisions between families.

In Northern Ireland, cartoons with a reconciliation message were broadcast throughout the nation. These were accompanied by workshops for parents and classroom activities for children.

Program evaluations have indicated that children’s attitudes of respect for diversity have been enhanced – and that parents, while retaining their own belief systems, nonetheless endorse more inclusive attitudes by their children (See Connolly and Hayden, 2007).

In the Thai study, despite witnessing violence, murder and atrocities, children expressed feelings of hope and visions of peace. The authors conclude that “This suggests fertile ground for peace-building efforts directed at children and youth who already desire to live in harmony and can provide clear descriptions of what this would be like.” (UNICEF, 2008 pg 31).

Currently there are indications that the call for integrating early childhood programs into emergency relief efforts is being heeded by relief agencies and government. But this needs to be addressed with caution. Without awareness of the need for local input, there is potential to do harm. There is a real danger if programs and services are not sensitive to local culture and capacity or if they exclude local leadership or marginalize some groups within local communities. There is a critical need for sound empirical evidence about what contributes to effective program outcomes.

For this reason, a number of agencies,

consortia, networks and University research centers (such as Macquarie University) have identified this issue as a research priority. Studies are being developed to inform effective and cost-effective interventions, advocacy, and programmatic frameworks for early childhood services and programs for emergencies within diverse contexts.For more information and updates on research initiatives, see http://www.ecdgroup.com/emergencies.asp or contact jacqueline.hayden@mq.edu.au. Dr. Jacqueline Hayden is Professor of Early Childhood and Social Inclusion at Macquarie University, Australia and former Program Manager for the Bernard van Leer Foundation. Her most recent book is “From Conflict to Peace Building the Power of Early Childhood Initiatives – Lessons From Around The World/Del Conflicto a la Constuccion de Paz: El Poder de las Iniciativas de la Pimera Infancia – Lecciones de Todo el Mondo” (with Paul Connolly and Diane Levin).

References:1. Connolly, P. & Hayden, J. with D. Levin,

2007. From conflict to peace building - The power of early childhood initiatives – Lessons from around the world. Seattle: Exchange Press.

2. Grantham-McGregor, S., Cheung, Y.B., Cueto, S., Glewwe, P., Richter, L., and Strupp, B.,2007. Developmental potential in the first 5 years for children in developing countries. The Lancet, 369(9555), 60-70.

3. IASC (Inter-Agency Standing Committee), 2007. IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings. Geneva: IASC.

4. Ruschena, E., Prior, M., Sanson, A., & Smart, D., 2005. A longitudinal study of adolescent adjustment following family transitions. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 46(4), 353-363.

5. UNICEF, 2007. Progress for children: A world fit for children statistical review. Retrieved November 26, 2008 from http://www.unicef.org/progressforchi ldren/2007n6/f i les/Progress_for_Children_-_No._6.pdf.

6. UNICEF, 2008. Everyday Fears A study of children’s perceptions of living in the southern border area of Thailand.

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Early childhood care, development and education come under the

auspices of two Ministries in Singapore: the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and the Ministry of Education (MOE).

The MCYS focuses on children from 2 months to 6 years in infant and child care centers, to support working mothers and also as an encouragement to couples to have more children. Programs function full day (up to 12 hours), half-day or flexible hours to meet parents’ needs. These childcare centers target the holistic development of children, and incorporate preschool education as well.

The MOE, on the other hand, targets children from 4 to 6 in a strictly kindergarten set-up with the aim of preparing children for school. Classes usually run for 3 to 4 hours. The private sector, non-profit social service organizations, religious organizations, cooperatives and a community foundation operate both childcare centers and kindergartens.

These are two parallel systems for children from 4 to 6 years old – the MCYS and the MOE system. However, a joint MOE-MCYS committee - the Preschool Qualification Accreditation Committee (PQAC), with representatives and advisors from the kindergarten and childcare sector - collaborate to standardize requirements for teachers in both the childcare and kindergarten sectors.

This makes it easy for preschool teachers to cross over to either sector, making for a more flexible workforce.

The PQAC aims to enhance the quality of teachers through academic qualification requirements, content and duration of professional training courses and trainers’ requirements.

Training schools for preschool teachers

come mainly from the private sector although the government, through the polytechnics, is now offering a diploma in this area as well.

A third system, the Work Development Agency (WDA), an arm of the Ministry of Manpower, has recently emerged, to make provisions for mid-career switches to the early childhood sector. Working with the two Ministries and the early childhood sector, it plans to develop an alternate route to obtain the necessary qualifications to work in the field.

Singapore recognizes the importance of early childhood development and education and has over the past years been working towards increasing access, improving quality and ensuring equity.

In 2008, 97.5 percent of children in Primary One had at least a year of kindergarten experience: There is a concerted effort to have all children experience kindergarten before they enter compulsory primary school.

INCREASING ACCESS: GEOGRAPHICAL AND FINANCIAL

Childcare centers have increased over the years, especially in the heartland of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats where the majority of the population resides.

There are now about 800 childcare centers in Singapore and more are planned for the years ahead.

The MOE has about 500 kindergartens, many of which run double sessions. A major player, the People’s Action Party (PAP) Community Foundation (PCF), provides affordable kindergarten classes extensively and many can be found within every HDB estate.

The government subsidizes fees in childcare centers but not for kindergarten as fees in PCF centers are rather low.

However, families with low income can still apply for additional financial assistance through government and community related agencies. Centers that charge low fees are also eligible for capital grants from the government.

IMPROVING QUALITY

Childcare centers in Singapore are licensed under the Child Care Centers Act (1988, Revised 1992) and Regulations that set standards for facilities, staff child ratio, program guidelines, health, nutrition and safety, qualification of teachers and parent involvement.

Licenses can be renewed every two years if a childcare center maintains the standards set.

Childcare centers are required to refer to the MOE’s Curriculum Framework and the Kindergarten Curriculum Guide for its kindergarten program.

Further developments to upgrade quality are also being studied. The MOE-registered kindergartens also have to meet certain criteria. Apart from the Kindergarten Framework and Curriculum Guidelines, there is also a self-monitoring Quality Assurance instrument for kindergartens.

Over the years, both the MCYS and MOE have been steadily increasing the quality of teachers.

Preschool teachers are now required to pass five subjects with credit instead of three subjects after nine or ten years of formal education.

Almost all preschools are bilingual in English and Mandarin. The concern for the quality of English spoken and taught in preschools prompted the PQAC to raise the English language requirement for English language teachers in order for them to be better language role models for the children.

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The professional qualification has also been raised from a Certificate to a Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education (DECCE - Teaching). Presently, only one out of four teachers in a center needs to be trained. However, all teachers teaching at the kindergarten level must have a diploma. Those teaching children below 4 years need to be trained only up to the Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education (CECCE) level. Principals of kindergartens and childcare centers need to have an additional Diploma, the DECCE (Leadership) as well.

The PQAC regularly reviews and upgrades required courses in terms of duration, content and trainers’ qualifications and experience.

Recently, both government and non-government scholarships are being offered at the Diploma and the degree levels, to attract, upgrade and retain quality persons in the early childhood sector.

ENSURING EQUITY

While there are financial avenues for poor children to access preschool education either though the childcare centers or kindergartens, some may still find it difficult to do so.

The FLAIR program developed by the MOE and implemented at the grassroots organizations provides short-term preschool experience for young children.

Even with financial aid, families will not be able to send the children to better centers where there is better staff child ratio, more and better qualified teachers and superior resources, because of the higher fees.

The issue of equity needs to address access of children from low-income families to not just any kindergarten, whether under the MOE or MCYS, but to quality programs as well. This is a more difficult issue to resolve but is currently being studied.

Childcare and preschool education in Singapore have been evolving. At this stage, there is a greater imperative to raise the quality of programs through three areas of intervention.

First, through teacher training in terms of academic and professional upgrading.

Second, through the development and implementation of national curriculum

guidelines. And third, through development and implementation of evaluation instruments.

Finally, there is greater move to ensure that every child experience good preschool education before entering primary one.

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Survival and development are two basic rights of the child, and they

are inter-dependent and indivisible (UN CRC, Article 6). In developing countries, around eight million children die before their fifth birthday. Nearly 20 times that number (over 200 million children) who survive, due to inadequate nutrition, consistent loving care and opportunities to learn may not reach their full human potential (Walker and Engle et al., 2007). About 88 million of these live in South Asia. As a result, their countries suffer an estimated 20 percent loss in adult productivity.

THE EVIDENCE IS OVERWHELMING

Recent neuroscience research on brain development has validated earlier theoretical as well as philosophical arguments on the importance of quality early interaction between a young child and her immediate environment (There is a long list of philosophers starting from Rousseau, Pestallozi, Froebel, and continuing with psychologists like Freud, Ericsson, Bolwby, Bloom, Bronfenbrenner, Zigler and others, who all made a strong reference to the importance of child’s interaction with others in her immediate environment).

Bolwby first argued that children without such bonding and attachment ties will close themselves, diminishing their survival chances (Bolwby, 1958) . Today’s neuroscience research goes a step further and clearly states that a child’s brain is shaped by her interactions with her immediate environment even before birth. Such interaction patterns help the brain establish its neurological synoptic wiring, which is the fastest during the first three years of life (Shonkopp, J.P. and Phillips, D.A., 2004). Alternatively, “young children, exposed to physical punishment, violence, neglect and abuse can experience excessive stress, which disrupts the architecture of the developing brain leading to serious cognitive, social and emotional delays, and behavior problems later in life.”

(Science of ECD, 2007)

Hence, the quality of care provided for the newborn and their mother/caregiver, has a critical impact on a child’s survival, growth and psycho-social development (WHO, 2004) .

Poverty, poor health and under-nutrition are some of the underlying factors that affect the quality of interaction between the child and her caregiver and undermine children’s development early in life when brain development is most rapid and the architecture of the brain is most sensitive to the influences of the external environment – prenatally through 3-5 years of age. When the quality of nutrition, stimulation, and care is deficient, brain development can be seriously affected, and can have long-term consequences.

In many parts of the world, including East and South Asia, studies show that children who receive assistance in their early years have greater chances of survival and higher achievement level at school. As adults, they have higher employment and earnings, better health, lower levels of welfare dependence and crime rates than those who do not have

these early opportunities (Heckman, 2006) .

Early intervention efforts for disadvantaged children lead to improvements in survival, health, growth, and cognitive and social development of the children (McGregor et al., 2007). We can no longer afford to lose the potential of millions of future citizens. It is the right of each and every child to develop as well as to survive. Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not just the absence of disease.

THE HEALTH SECTOR HAS A CENTRAL ROLE

The health care system has a critical role to play in ensuring that every child survives and thrives. In many countries, the health care system is often the only existing infrastructure that can reach young children and their families.

In addition, families have contact with the health care system most often when women are pregnant and when their children are young; which is when attention to optimum brain development is critical.

Promoting Early Childhood Development in the Health SectorBy Nurper Ulkuer, UNICEF and Meena Cabral, WHO

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In South and Southeast Asia, the health care system reaches more pregnant women, children under three years and their families than any other service. Therefore if utilized appropriately, the window of opportunity within health care encounters for young children are golden opportunities to help strengthen families’ efforts to promote their children’s development and may be the only opportunity available for professionals in developing countries to positively influence parents of young children. Health workers and community health workers are respected sources of knowledge and skills as well as curative care. Health workers can guide families to provide stimulating care for their children as well as good nutrition. This is especially useful where developmental approaches are added to existing structures in routine maternal and child health care within primary health care. Community Based Health Workers (CBHWs) and community outreach programs provide a unique link with families.

In some countries of the Asia-Pacific region, health care providers promote child development through counseling families on child care and stimulation, monitoring the child’s development, guidance on common developmental problems, and identifying and providing additional support to children with developmental delays. Evaluations have shown that even relatively brief interventions can improve developmental outcomes for children and improve the faith/confidence of the parent in health care (Health Steps Program and Evaluations, Brookline Model, Integrated Health and Development Program).

The World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) recognizes the importance of early childhood development. The landmark report, “Closing the Gap in Health in One Generation” by the WHO Commission on the Social Determinants of Health states: “Investment in the early years provides one of the greatest potentials to reduce health inequities within a

generation.”

“Early childhood development – including the physical, social/emotional, and language/cognitive domains – has a determining influence on subsequent life chances and health through skills development, education, and occupational opportunities because what children experience during the early years sets a critical foundation for their entire life course. Through these mechanisms, and directly, early

childhood influences subsequent risk of obesity, malnutrition, mental health problems, heart disease, and criminality.”

Investing in the earliest formative years makes good sense for national development. Educated and healthy people participate in and contribute to the financial and social wealth of their societies.

The Commission on Social Determinants

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IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD, INCLUDING EAST AND SOUTH ASIA, STUDIES SHOW CHILDREN WHO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE IN THEIR EARLY YEARS HAVE GREATER CHANCES OF SURVIVAL AND HIGHER ACHIEVEMENT LEVEL AT SCHOOL

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of Health calls on policymakers, as well as WHO and UNICEF to: “Commit to and implement a comprehensive approach to early life, building on existing child survival programmes and extending interventions in early life to include social/emotional and language/cognitive development.”

In order to advance the implementation of this recommendation, WHO and UNICEF organized a meeting for Promoting Early Childhood Development in the Health Sector, which took place in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 13 to 17 July 2009. Over 60 participants from ten countries in South Asia, Southeast Asia and Pacific regions came together in Colombo representing a range of government health ministries and departments, national training institutions, universities, international professional associations as well as WHO and UNICEF headquarters, country and regional offices. Participating countries included: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor-Leste.

The meeting provided an invaluable opportunity for the countries to share their successes and challenges in promoting early childhood development, to learn about the WHO-UNICEF revised Care for Child Development Intervention Package, and to begin work on a regional strategic framework for promoting early childhood development. Important work also began on developing country specific action plans.

It was evident throughout the five day meeting that every participating country currently has, to a greater or lesser degree, health sector programs that contribute to early childhood development. Yet it became clear to all that there is still more to do in every country, whether in ECD policy development, program development, or monitoring and evaluation, to ensure adequate quality, coverage and funding of ECD activities. The majority of countries, for example, identified a gap in current programming to promote holistic ECD, including quality caregiver-

child interactions and psychosocial development. The need to build up country-specific evidence on the effectiveness of current ECD programs was also highlighted as a critical step for improving strategic planning and investment processes.

The general conviction that the ECD agenda does not compete with, but rather complements the survival and nutrition agendas was a significant outcome of the meeting’s discussions. Indeed, research presented in the technical sessions demonstrated synergistic effects between ECD, child survival, and nutrition activities.

WHO-UNICEF Care for Child Development Package was introduced as a practical tool to adapt and incorporate it into existing programs addressing the maternal and child health and development issues in respective countries. Highlighting the synergistic relationship between child survival and development, the Care for Child Development Package aims (i) to strengthen home care to improve the child’s chances of survival and (ii) to stimulate the development of the child’s full potential.

During the concluding days of the meeting, participants dedicated a significant portion of time discussing and deliberating on a set of common principles for ECD and on outlining conclusions and recommendations for promoting ECD through the health sector in the South Asia, East Asia and Pacific regions. Participants expressed a collective commitment to take the conclusions and recommendations of the meeting forward in their own countries and work. Main conclusions include: • ECD is the right of every child. It

should be included in the national agenda related to child issues.

• Promotion of ECD is clearly a multi-sectoral activity in which the health sector must play a pivotal role during the first years.

• The health sector should take responsibility for integrating ECD in national Maternal and Child Health

(MCH) and nutrition policies and strategic plans.

• Interventions for ECD should be nested in existing MCH and nutrition programs adopting a life-cycle approach.

• While the global evidence for ECD is fairly robust there is need for generating evidence regarding effective interventions in the context of respective countries.

• Interventions, tools and guidelines for ECD should be customized to the socio-cultural context of the countries.

Evidence and ideas have been shared, issues have been discussed, and actions have been inspired. Countries must now make the most of this momentum and move forward rapidly with focus and determination to promote Early Childhood Development in the health sector.

References:1. United Nations Convention on the

Rights of the Child (CRC) Article 62. Walker et al., 2007 & Engle et al., 2007.

The Lancet Child Development Series3. Bolwby, J. 1958. The Nature of the

Child’s Tie to its Mother, International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 39, 350-373

4. Shonkoff, J.P., & Phillips, D.A., 2000. From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press

5. Science of Early Childhood Development, Centre on the Developing Child-Harvard University, 2007

6. World Health Organization, 2004. The Importance of caregiver-child interactions for the survival and healthy development of young children.

7. Heckman, J.J. 2006. “Skill Formation and the Economics of Investing in Disadvantaged Children” Science, 312 (5782):1900-1902, UNESCO (2007) EFA Global Monitoring Report

8. McGregor et al., 2007. The Lancet Child Development Series

9. WHO Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. Closing the gap in a generation. Health equity through action on the social determinants of health. WHO Geneva 2008

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Aga Khan University - Human Development ProgramBy Seema Lassi, AKU

Founded by His Highness Aga Khan and chartered in 1983 as Pakistan’s

first private international university, Aga Khan University’s objective is to promote human welfare in general, and the welfare of the people of Pakistan in particular, by dissemination of knowledge and providing instructions, training, research and services in the health sciences, education and such other branches of learning as the university may determine. AKU is an international university which currently has 11 teaching sites spread over eight countries - Afghanistan, Kenya, Pakistan, Tanzania, Uganda, Syria, Egypt, and The United Kingdom.

AKU-HDP explores the potential for influencing processes by which individuals, families, social groups and population progress towards achieving their potential level of physical, mental, social, and economic health and wellbeing. Working since 2002, the initial focus of this program is to enhance human development through Early Child Development (ECD).

AKU-HDP aims to enhance human development through enhanced ECD, to break the inter-generational cycle of poverty, illiteracy and poor care that

inhibit later learning, behavior, mental and physical health. It is expected that the Human Development Program will enhance the scale and scope of its offerings over the next 5-10 years, particularly in the area of education and action research. Furthermore, it is expected that HDP’s offerings will gradually evolve to include thematic areas throughout the life-span.

AKU-HDP combines four inter-dependent components as briefly described here:

1. Integrated Community-Based Program ModelsWorking in close collaboration with government, NGOs and community-based organizations, AKU-HDP is assisting communities to develop effective models of family support and integrated community-based ECD programs; to obtain and use appropriate, sustainable and affordable services; and to provide integrated quality care of children. The focus of the community component is on parents, the unborn child and the early years, and includes regular monitoring of individual children’s all-round developmental progress, not limited to this; it also addresses and support

community-based and school-based early childhood education activities.

2. Multidisciplinary Action ResearchResearch related to ECD is being designed and implemented to support and document the community-based education and communication components. Longitudinal studies addressing the consequences of early caring practices for development throughout the life-span are also undertaken; integrated child monitoring tools are being developed and evaluated; new mapping and charting tools are being used to document changes in maternal and child status over time and space to influence the policy dialogue; and the ameliorating effects of consistent nurturing on socio-economic gradients in health, coping and competence are addressed. Research findings are disseminated creatively for different audiences.

3. Advocacy, Communication, and Constituency BuildingThe AKU-HDP is working towards influencing policy and practice for ECD. The challenge of accelerating national development through increased and sustained ECD investment had been advocated through annual ECD symposia, policy dialogues, and associated media, dissemination and education activities. New communication and information technologies are also enhancing efforts to influence policy and investment directions.

4. Education and TrainingIn addition to community-based and parent training activities, the AKU-HDP education component is dealing with modular, problem-focused areas of knowledge for educational and advocacy purposes, and for a variety of qualifications (Certificate and Advance Diploma programs) accredited by AKU.

The AKU-HDP is continuously developing and evolving to the growing national and international needs.

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“It is reasonable to conclude that fostering family environments

that are stimulating, supportive, and nurturing will benefit all children regardless of geography, ethnicity, language or societal circumstances.” (Maggi et al., 2005) During the 1970’s, Robert LeVine’s research helped to define universal values of parenting across cultures, including findings that virtually all parents ensure the survival and health of their children, encourage their children to be economically self-sufficient and teach their children how to socialize and behave according to the cultural norms. As of 1999, 14 studies on attachment across cultures found that there is a fundamental expressive interaction that takes place between infants and their primary caregivers.

Although there is significant support for ideas of universal parenting, any cross-cultural intervention should come with a host of precautions. For instance, we have been warned that “across all cultures, there are practices, routines and traditions with potentially counterproductive influences on development. Good ECD programs for young children need to be embedded in, and work with, local understandings of childhood and also draw on relevant and appropriate insights from other cultures”. (Marfo, K. et al, 2008)

As ECD practitioners, we are told that the best way to ensure that we are being culturally relevant is to embed all interventions within local understandings and traditions. In practice however, with funding and resource constraints, this goal is often easier said than done, especially when we are faced with the reality that some traditions of caregiving may contrast sharply with research promoted best practices in the field of ECD. For example, our physical presence in a village is limited, restricting our ability to build rapport with a community. Evidence can also be limited, particularly in isolated communities, in identifying what

interventions are most effective. The lack of reliable instruments to measure change in ECD is also evidence of our lack of resources.

At a more ground level experience, how, as practitioners, do we handle situations where traditions of caregiving in a particular setting contrast sharply with the knowledge we have as experts in the field of ECD? Perhaps the most obvious answer to consider when involved with any ECD programming is to do no harm. In many sectors of development, “we have systematically allowed people to feel incompetent and inadequate in raising their own children.” (Evans et al., 2008) To combat this mistake, all intervention should be rooted in the assumption that parents and caregivers are doing the best they can.

Hands to Hearts International (HHI) was founded on this premise, with the core belief that all parents want to and are capable of providing the most essential components of healthy child development, that of their caring relationship and nurturing daily interactions. Steeped in this evidence, the curriculum and training of Hands to Hearts International is a replicable, cost-effective tool that provides education in ECD, psycho-stimulation, hygiene, play and baby massage to mothers and caregivers of the children of the world.

Working in a variety of cultures throughout India and Uganda, HHI uses participatory methods of development to inform curriculum and training in order to meet the capacity, assets and traditions of the local community. Instead of bringing in pre-determined activities to teach the content of the training, much of the training is based on existing local customs that are already ongoing. For example, if we teach about the importance of language development, then we ask participants to provide examples of their songs, stories and prayers and share with them how they can use these everyday to build their

child’s language abilities. By drawing out local childhood songs, games, stories and dance to incorporate into trainings, HHI focuses on the innate, although not always realized, resource of parents as caregivers, creating life-long and sustainable change for the world’s most vulnerable children.

References:

1. Maggi, S., Irwin, L.G., Siddiqi, A., Poureslami, I., Hertzman, E. & Hertzman, C. 2005. Analytic and strategic review paper: International perspectives on early child development. World Health Organization’s Commission on the Social Determinants of Health.

2. Marfo, K., Biersteker, L., Sagnia, J. & Kabiru, M. 2008. Responding to the challenge of meeting the needs of children under 3 in Africa. In Garcia, M., Pence, A., & Evans, J.L. (Eds.), Africa’s future, Africa’s challenge: Early childhood care and development in Sub-Saharan Africa (201 - 225). Washington DC: The World Bank

3. Evans, J.L., Matola, C.E., & Nyeko, J.P.T. 2008. Parenting challenges for the changing African family. In Garcia, M., Pence, A., & Evans, J.L. (Eds.), Africa’s future, Africa’s challenge: Early childhood care and development in Sub-Saharan Africa (265 - 284). Washington D.C.: The World Bank

A Cross Cultural Solution: Hands to Hearts InternationalBy Christy Hudson, Hands to Hearts International

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Early childhood education (ECE) is the best Human Resource

Development investment of any country. It is the foundation for the all-round growth and development of the child. This article attempts to give an overview of what children like sand how their likes can translate to a child-friendly ECE.

Though every school is expected to be child-friendly, the reality is different at times. This is often because adults try to define what is child-friendly, but first, it is worth considering what we ought to look for in ensuring that schools are child-friendly at every level.

For any school to progress and become more child-friendly, the process is a journey and not a destination. Having a positive environment is an essential need at every stage of human life and is an absolute necessity for a child. The purpose of the article is to reinstate the merits of ECE with some practical suggestions to making it child-friendly. Care and education services are packaged in different names in different countries and regions. To name a few, they may be called Day Care, Crèche, Playgroup, Fun school, Play school,

Montessori, Kindergarten, Nursery, Pre-primary, and Early Childhood Education.

There is much discussion around the nature of care and support needed for the young child. A safe environment that stimulates learning and growth is the foundation for quality ECE. All-round development and social development in particular are widely recognized as the possible positive outcomes of having quality ECE.

Planned activities in a welcoming environment addressing each developmental domain and ensuring all-round development of the child, marks effective ECE initiative. In the beginning, care needs may be predominant among children in an ECE setting. However, children quickly settle into enjoying the social-emotional experience as well. How quickly children settle can be indicative of how engaging and caring the ECE environment is.

“In the child’s environment, the adult is a special object of love.” (Maria Montessori)

Care is an inseparable feature of an ECE program and the longer the

care component stays in a learning environment; the stronger are the chances of children continuing in schools.

“WHAT MAKES ECE CHILD-FRIENDLY?” - A CASE STUDY

In this section, a case example of a privately-run ECE center will be considered. The ECE centers cater to children in the age group of two years and more in and around a 15-20 kilometer radius from the main city. The package of services, reasonable fees (INR 10,000-12,000 per annum) and the established name of the management attract parents of children from the surrounding villages as well.

The fees include transportation cost (all the children make use of air-conditioned vans and no personal transportation is allowed), three sets of stitched uniforms, two meals and a snack per day on all five days of the week, notebooks, textbooks, school bag and other stationery.

The school provides pick-up and drop-off services in air-conditioned vans with well experienced drivers. The classrooms are air-conditioned too. The resources of the management are generously used to ensure the best facilities for the children without any profit motive. The school teachers are well-trained in Montessori, nursery or kindergarten methods and are paid and receive other benefits on par with the government school teachers. The management has a Bachelors Degree in Education and provides opportunities for all the teachers to qualify themselves with a B.Ed.

Apart from the world class buildings, facilities and furniture, there is provision for food and refreshment also. Both breakfast and lunch are provided and also a mid-morning milk and snack. The quality of all services and cleanliness standards are high. There are caregivers in sufficient numbers. All these services

How Child-friendly is Early Childhood Education?By Bhuvaneswari Mahalingam PhD, Save the Children Sweden Regional Office for South & Central Asia

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are offered and make parents feel more relaxed and relieved.

However, the missing elements I found in this context were that the institution lacked a “child-centered pedagogy” approach and outdoor play opportunities for children.

In my opinion, though trained, teachers had less opportunity to be creative in classrooms. The management also appeared to lack the technical know-how of running the school, but believed that whatever they were doing was in the “child’s best interest.”

Some caregivers and teachers even resort to physical punishments as they are under constant pressure to show results at the pre-primary and primary levels. This led to an emphasis on formal learning at the pre-primary level and less on play.

Most parents who respect a competitive spirit and the need to score high marks at the pre-primary and primary level appear to have positive evaluations of the school.

This case study illustrates what is missing in a child-friendly ECE environment. It highlights the need for a comprehensive child-focused approach.

When children are not consulted on what they like and dislike in school, the best of intentions and investments may remain less valued.

WHAT COULD MAKE ECE CHILD-FRIENDLY?

The UNICEF Global Capacity Development package has outlined the Child-friendly School Quality Standards (UNICEF, 2009) as given below:

• Design and infrastructure• School as community• Child-centered pedagogy• Safety protection and wellbeing• Management and leadership

All the five quality standards outlined above are applicable in an ECE environment. The following are some of the most important features I think a child-friendly ECE should have. I also think different contexts have different priorities; therefore it needs to be

constantly reviewed and improved.

Language: Children for the first time are pushed into an unfamiliar environment for at least 3-4 hours a day once they are admitted in an early childhood program. If the class is taught in the child’s first language, the chance for the child to feel comfortable in the new environment is high. Children may be gradually introduced to a new language informally through his/her first language. The first language becomes the tool to learn another language. Moreover, it helps them to communicate with their peers and caregivers and take part in different activities in the center.

Age at admission: There are ambiguities around the questions of when early childhood ends and what the appropriate age for admission is. There is global consensus on early childhood age definition as birth to 8 years. The age at admission differs according to different programs. It is the responsibility of the state to agree upon the admission age, based on the readiness to learn. The tender age of 2+ or even younger in which children are enrolled is another gentle reminder of the need to keep

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ECE child-friendly. Even if it is a class that is homogenous with regard to age, there may be individual differences. Teachers need to be conscious of the differences and stay tuned to individual needs of children and appreciate each child’s uniqueness.

Admission procedures: The admission process has to be simple. A complicated selection process and uncertainty puts pressure on the parents and affects the young children. Schools should not have fancy tests and interviews for the parent or the child. If ECE is considered preparatory for primary and entirely based on play, each child can learn what she or he is capable of learning in a good environment. There is no need to “select” or “reject” a child.

The classroom space: The ECE classroom space needs to be designed to maintain comfortable temperatures. While constructing the building for ECE, the position of the sun during school hours and direction of wind need to be kept in mind. Necessary modifications can be made to ensure a conducive environment in already existing classrooms.

Garden and outdoor space: Availability of outdoor space for learning, gardening and play, with the provision of adequate and appropriate outdoor play equipment and materials help all-round growth and development of children. Through gardening, children learn to relate with nature.

Becoming responsible citizens: The early childhood period is a time when a child learns from the characteristics of their caregivers. In these foundational years, children are curious to learn.

Children learn about their body, health, hygiene and sanitation. Children enjoy learning about different foods, their nutritive value and develop eating habits. Children learn the value of play, rest and sleep in their life. Children also learn about the day-to-day hazards and the safety measures of road rules and basic first aid. Children learn to play a creative and constructive role with

nature through their gardening classes.

With an increasing number of nuclear families and a “closed” lifestyle without many interactions with kin groups and neighborhood, ECE becomes the first place for children to learn appropriate social behavior, especially love and respect for fellow humans.

Child-centered pedagogy means a stimulating environment where children self-explore, learn on their own, learn in groups and learn through teachers’ support. Apart from reading, writing and arithmetic, children pick up social skills such as respecting people and expressing themselves. Effective ECE ensures opportunities for children to develop critical and creative thinking. ECE helps children enhance their own leadership skills.

CONCLUSION

The tendency to undervalue ECE within the early years is because it may sometimes be considered a component of “care” whereas children are prepared to learn right from conception. In many South Asian countries, ECE is not the state’s responsibility. The dearth of stimulating-environments and unprepared adults leads to early deprivations. Use of formal teaching and learning methods and focusing on results rather than the process of learning may defeat the very purpose of ECE.

It is wiser to remain child-friendly rather than parent-friendly as anxious parents put pressures on the school by demanding more homework, tests and high achievements for their young children. Though children love learning, I feel that informal learning is best suited for their age. It is therefore critical to view ECE as a preparation for primary education.

Child-friendly ECE has much to do with both the structure and functions, and multiple stakeholders have a responsibility in making it child-friendly. Teachers and caregivers, for example, need to ensure care, respectful

relationship and participatory methods. Community and parents can also take part in supporting the management of the center and helping children learn.

A center can be child-friendly through its professionalism and keeping in mind that classes are developed in the child’s best interest. The term “Child-friendly” implies respecting what children like or enjoy and using these likes as an indesx to measure school performance. What is child-friendly need to be defined by children and irrespective of their age, children can express their likes and dislikes.

References:

1. Maria Montessori, 1963. The Secret of Childhood. Translated and edited by Barbara Barclay Carter, 2002. Orient Longman, India.

2. Dr. K. Shanmugavelayutham and M. Bhuvaneswari, 2003. The ‘Must’ for Nursery Admission. TN-FORCES

3. UNICEF, 2009. Global Capacity Development Programme on Child-friendly Schools. Regional Workshops Facilitators’ Guide.

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A young mother is someone who has an extraordinarily crowded thought-

bubble over her head.

“Do I have enough veggies in the fridge? Are the spouse and I growing apart? What on earth is my colleague wearing – isn’t this a workplace? Is it too soon to have a second kid? The child needs a haircut this weekend. Should I wait till she is five to change schools? I haven’t seen my mother in a month – what will she be thinking…”

And the equivalent of a psychiatrist’s couch is having a “mommy blog.” Blogging is the connecting link for thousands of young mothers across the globe, looking to the Internet for help, support or friendship.

Shalini Froiland, who lives in Norway, blogs at www.awingandaprayer.wordpress.com. Blogging, she says, has been “entirely life-changing.”

She says writing a blog has slowed her down, and made her reflect on her life. Less than a year into blogging, she decided to stop working full-time and go in part-time instead, to be with her sons Arvind, 6, and Armaan, 2, instead.

“Writing autobiographically gives you an insight and an awareness of yourself,” she says. Mumbai’s Kiran Manral doesn’t have one blog. She has three. “I blog to keep sane,” she says. “I have three blogs, www. karmickids.blogspot.com, www.thirtysixandcounting.wordpress.com and www.indiahelps.blogspot.com, and each satisfies a different aspect of me,” she says. Her “India helps” blog was started after the Mumbai terror attacks with the idea of a “direct-help effort to put donors in touch with victims and families.” “Blogging can help you as a mother when you ask for advice or tips,” she says.

And here on the web: no topic is off-limits: breast-feeding advice, IVF treatment suggestions, how-to-get-a-toddler-to-brush-his-teeth in the mornings, rants on in-laws, single-parenting, the economic downturn, knock-knock jokes by two-year-old kids.

And like a blogger from Bangalore, India, www.choxbox.blogspot.com puts it, everything is “Real stuff. Real experiences. Real gyaan (wisdom).”

Most mothers start off blogging to record the lives of their children. But blogs are almost never about children alone. “My range of subjects of blog posts has spread in a way that is hard to control,” laughs “Mom Gone Mad” alias Shalini Froiland.

Blogger Sole, who lives in Australia, says she “writes primarily to record little anecdotes and snippets from everyday life so my kids have something to read and laugh about in the future when they have 1000 questions about what, why and how they did something. With my fading memory, lot of details will vanish before I get to tell them.”

And for a majority of women, blogging is also a vent. These women deal with their “anger at the world, at a spouse, at an unfair deal, at a frustrating time, at a Nobel given away wrongly,” and pound on their keyboard with a rant.

Sole, who blogs at www.liferightnow.wordpress.com, says “Blogging also gives me peace of mind when I decide to rant. Somehow, the anger disperses when I put down an incident in words. And I am satisfied when I get the support and response of fellow bloggers - something I can’t dream of getting from within the house!”

A study on mommy bloggers in the US reports the increasing power of the “mommy blogger”. This study, which included interviews with 300 mom bloggers, found that over 78 percent of mom bloggers review products and 96 percent of moms value the recommen¬dations they find on these sites.

A mommy blog sometimes reads like a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul. There are very often pictures put up - of families and festivity, childhood and chocolate, love and laughs. And the reader is caught in a cloudburst of warm, fuzzy, feel-good writing.

The Mommy BlogBy Dhanya Parthasarathy, Freelance Journalist

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My first thought was, “Why on earth do we need to spend five days on

emergency education preparation?” Well, I soon learnt that in five days, you are really only touching the tip of the iceberg – the rest is hidden below the waterline!

My colleague, Sembu George (President of Vanuatu Eli Jaelhud Asosiesen) and I were invited to attend a five day workshop on how the education sector can be prepared for disaster.

Natural disasters are common in Vanuatu, everything from cyclones and earthquakes to volcanic eruptions with many others in between. Of course, there are also those disasters caused by humans, such as landslides caused by erosion, pollution of rivers and violent conflicts. Emergency preparation is a must in this environment.

The week was to take us quickly through the main components of emergency preparation and response with the catch phrase for the week being “Preparedness = Effective Response” drummed into us at every moment and very visible in very large letters across a side wall in the conference room, with the eleven components of response underneath. We could have spent days if not weeks on each of these components of response but we only had five days for everything! As we worked through the week, each group added their ideas, plans and reflections to the components on the wall.

The first two days of technical components, coordination and clusters, capacity mapping and logistics dispelled any thoughts of an easy week. My head was spinning with thoughts of disasters and numbers affected. I wondered, “How does anyone cope with it all!?”

By day three we were on more familiar ground (for some of us anyway), designing child friendly temporary learning spaces and considering psychosocial and

emergency curricula needs. Then it was onto the reconstruction of schools and resumption of formal education. Along with these discussions was the consideration of how the disaster may affect those children from the most vulnerable groups such as girls, young children, children with disabilities and children from ethnic or religious minorities.

We ended the week pondering over our wall of ideas, planning and reflection what we had built up each day, and which was to be used to inform the writers of the Education Sector Emergency Preparedness Plan. This is a plan of response by the education sector in the event of an emergency which includes being aware of where and what types of disasters may strike, initiating assessments of educational needs, knowing what materials are likely to be needed and how to access them, as well as helping schools and communities to be prepared.

I’m sure all the participants felt as I did that we had learnt a great deal about preparing for and coping with disaster and also felt good that we all had contributed our ideas to a national plan which would support the children of Vanuatu and other Pacific Islands, in the likely event of a disaster. I personally extended my knowledge on coordination, capacity mapping, logistics and the need for accurate assessments on the ground. Communication, especially to outer islands, is always a problem for Vanuatu and in the event of a disaster this could become nonexistent. If staff in Provincial Offices and schools is prepared for disaster in advance, it is more likely that they will cope better in these stressful times. My own knowledge about child development, built up over 20 years of teaching, helped me to assist the rest of our group to understand the importance of designing temporary learning spaces and providing psychosocial support to children in a safe environment.

As it happened, disaster did strike the South Pacific with the earthquake and tsunami in Samoa with tragic results, and a reminder of the need for everyone to be prepared for disaster to strike at any time. A week later Vanuatu was alerted to the potential for tragedy with the earthquake and tsunami warning issued from Santa Cruz. But happily for Vanuatu and other island nations, the wave did not eventuate. However, it was a timely reminder for “Preparedness = Effective Response”. The response of many people was panic brought on by a lack of knowledge and preparation and compounded by poor communication networks (an ongoing problem in many island nations).

Preparation for emergencies is something that needs to be foremost in the minds of not only the National Disaster Monitoring Office, the Ministries and Government departments but also in the minds of every man, woman and child in the country. In the event of any disaster knowledge of local custom and other ways of preparing for and coping with emergencies must be an advantage. Through education, even our youngest children in early childhood education can be better prepared in the event of an emergency.

What Do I Know About Emergencies?By Margarette Cantwell, Volunteer Service Abroad in Vanuatu

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No. 2, 2009

For more information, contact:

ARNEC Secretariatc/o SEED Institute73 Bras Basah Rd. #07-01NTUC Trade Union HouseSingapore 189556Website: www2.unescobkk.org/ARNECE-mail: secretariat@arnec.net

Editorial Board: Mahmuda AkhterHead, Early Childhood Development Resource Center, BRAC University

Maki HayashikawaProgramme Specialist in Gender and Basic Education, UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education

Chemba RaghavanEducation Consultant, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office and ARNEC

Kishor ShresthaProfessor, Research Center for Education Innovation and Development, Tribhuvan University

Design and Layout: Kanitha Kongrukgreatiyos

Front Photo: Ministry of Education/Vanuatu

Special thanks to the ARNEC Steering Committee for their never-ending support; Junko Miyahara for her help in putting together this publication; Janet Monaghan, Sandy Fortuna and Anubha Rajesh for suggesting the name ARNEC Connections to be our new title; and last but not least, to all the ARNEC members who have contributed their time and efforts in writing articles for this publication!

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UNDERSTANDING OUR NETWORK

The Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood is a network established to build strong partnerships in early childhood across sectors and different disciplines, organizations, agencies and institutions in the Asia-Pacific region.

ARNEC was established in February 2008 and acts as a platform for all individuals concerned with young children in the region to voice, learn and share their knowledge and experiences in ECD with others. Essentially, our aim is to become a node linking all EC professionals, national networks, institutions and organizations together to increase inter-sectoral collaboration that enhances the region’s early childhood capacities

In February 2010, our Network has moved from the UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office in Bangkok to SEED Institute in Singapore.

ARNEC is guided by 15 Steering Committee members made up of ECD experts from the region who provide direction for the planning and development of the Network and its activities.

Six core donors have agreed to support ARNEC – UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Office for Education, UNICEF

East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office, Plan International, Open Society Foundation, Save the Children and SEED Institute.

OUR MISSION

• To expand the knowledge base on innovative practices in early childhood in the region

• To analyze, synthesize and disseminate information in ways accessible and useful to a wide range of actors and stakeholders from different disciplines

• To create capacity building opportunities

• To leverage human, institutional and financial resources in support of early childhood development

WHO ARE OUR MEMBERS?

Our members are individuals in the field of early childhood who is concerned with young children and families of Asia and the Pacific. The Network’s strengths draws upon the support of our members who are experts in health, education, nutrition, social welfare, human development, social research or policy, sociology, or anthropology. Becoming an active ARNEC member means you are able to contribute your knowledge and share with others your experiences. To become a member, please visit our website.

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