Transcript The Status of Early Childhood Care and Education

The Status of Early
Childhood Care and
Education
By
Tirussew Teferra et al.
Objectives of Research Project
Identify relevant policy issues on early childhood care, education and
development in Ethiopia.
Identify the current status of Early Childhood Education in Ethiopia in terms
of resources, practices, strengths, and weaknesses.
Introduce cost-effective and cultural sensitive strategies of promoting early
childhood care and education towards achieving the Millennium
Development Goals.
Propose a framework of early childhood care and education having
implications for policy development.
Research Method
Desk Research
Consulting literature focusing on available local
literature and policy documents on ECCE in
Ethiopia
Field Survey
Conducting a study to map-out the conditions of
early childhood care and education across
regions
Survey Sites & Data Sources
All the 11 Regional States
Addis Ababa, Oromiya, Amhara, Tigray, Afar, Somali, Harari,
Drie Dawa, Benishangul-Gumuz, Gambela and SNNP
Data Sources
Regional bureau
Experts and supervisors (FGDs)
ECCE Teacher training Institutes
Heads and teachers (FGDs)
Early Childhood Care and Education (65 centers)
Directors
(36)
Teachers
(250)
Parents
(222)
Instruments of data ollection
Questionnaire
Focus Group Discussion
Interview
Participant Observation
Findings
Desk Research Study
Studies in early childhood care and education
are scanty and fragmented
The importance of early childhood care and
education was well pronounced back in the
early 17th Ethiopian philosophers
Policy analysis
Education and training policy
Health policy
Social policy
Family code policies and
the Ethiopian constitution
Survey Result
Early child care and upbringing practices
Harmful practices
Milk teeth extraction, uvuloctomy, tonsillectomy, female genital
mutilation, mutilation of the skin in the forehead and eyebrow of
their babies.
Prevalence of corporal punishment at home and in schools
Employing approaches such as yelling ,deploring, cursing,
terrifying & chastising for shaping children’s behaviors
In most of the Ethiopian cultures, young children are not
encouraged to discuss with adults even about their own
matters.
Limited role of fathers in in early child care
Survey Result cont…
Useful practices
Breastfeeding is widely practice even during the time of
toddlerhood
Strong emotional attachment/physical contact with the mother
The involvement of the neighborhood in child care
Availability of stories, games and indigenous story tellingplaying skills .
The role of the extended family in sharing child care
Prevalence of useful/educative proverbs for early care and
education
Survey Result cont…
Early Childhood Education (ECE)
Types ECE
Private (middle and upper class families )
Public ( middle class families)
Faith-based ( middle and upper class families )
NGO-based (low income families & orphans)
Community-based (middle class)
Accessibility & location
2.7% of the age cohort have accesses
Children with disabilities don’t have access
Urban based & most of them are expensive
Survey Result cont…
Nature of Teaching-Learning in ECEs
Curriculum (reading, writing, adding , counting etc.l ack
of standard guide line)
Teaching methodology ( teacher centered, play p
Second language (undermines mother tongue)
Teaching-learning materials (England, India, Kenya etc.)
Teachers’ profile (diversified)
Survey Result cont…
ECCE Teacher Training Institutes
Profiles of trainers
Quality of training
Graduates’ employability & salary
Career track development opportunity
Implications of the Study
Suggested a holistic policy framework of Early Childhood
Care and Education in Ethiopia., which among others
focuses on:
Integrated efforts by sector ministries including Education,
Health, Labor & Social Affairs , Ministry of Women Affairs.
The set-up ECCE- Integrated National Office at National,
Regional and District "Woreda" levels.
ECCE program that addresses the cognitive, psychosocial,
cognitive health and safety of young children.
Specific recommendations
The Ministry of Education should coordinate operational standards and
ensures that every child has the opportunity to have access to early
childhood education before he or she joins formal education. In order to
realize this the following measures are suggested
Open early childhood education programs under the premises of all the
primary school s across regions compounds .
Encourage and support the community to open or reopen Kebele-level
preschools .
Neighbourhood Childcare Centres (NCC) rural areas.
Undertaking to collect, document and disseminate the indigenous useful practices of
educating and caring young children. As well as augment the absence of culturally
relevant storybooks, children games, etc in our preschools;
“Today’s investment in children is
tomorrow’s peace, stability,
security, democracy and sustainable
development ”
[Africa Fit for Children, May 2001]
Thank you !!