DEMEKE FEKADU

ECE Expert
C/A/A/A/E/bureau
The recognition and provision of quality Early Childhood Care and
Education (ECCE) is a critical issue, and has so for remained a cur-
rent development agenda of several countries.

Thiscurrent agenda is based on strong evidence derived from re-

search on the active and constructive nature of children to explore
and control their environment.

In the life cycle of human development, the early childhood period
is a critical period it requires concerted effort and a great deal of in-
vestment.
 If children at this stage of development are not
provided with good nutrition, health care and ed-
ucation, they are deprived of their right to de-
velop as productive citizens and to enjoy a better
quality of life.
 Every child from poor and better of family, rural
and urban – in every country should have the op-
portunity to access and benefit from quality
ECCE services which offer cognitive, physical,
and social stimulation and adequate nutrition.
 The definition of Early childhood care and education
varies among childhood educators. Different terminolo-
gies and phrases are also used to describe services given
to children in different countries.
 Some of these terms include “Early childhood Devel-
opments”, “ Early child hood care and education”,
“early childhood education”, “pre-primary education”,
“pre -school education” , “Kindergarten”, etc
 “early child hood care and education” is the most com-
monly used term among many countries and scholars in
the field.
 Early childhood is defined as the period of a child’s
life from birth to age seven.
 Children below the age of seven learn best when they
have objects they can manipulate, and when they can
experiment and learn by trial and error within a safe
and stimulating environment. As to developmental
psychology, children at this age level have an innate
desire to learn.
 At about the age of seven /eight children reach the
age of that they are less depending and learning by
doing does not pre-dominate their world anymore.
 The term “Care” is added to the phrase of Early
Childhood to move policy makers and program
providers away from thinking that early child-
hood programs are synonymous with pre-schools.
 “Care” in Ethiopia is defined as the integrated set
of actions that ensure for children the synergy of
protection and supports - psycho-emotional, psy-
cho-social, health, nutrition and cognitive devel-
opment.
 Therefore “Care” is one of the key factors in the
promotion of children’s optimal development.
 Research suggests that most of the development of
psycho-emotional, psycho-social and intelligence in
children occurs before the age of seven.
 The first year of life is the most crucial in terms of a
child’s nutrition and physical growth; children who
falter during this period run the risk of delayed or
debilitated cognitive(mental) development.
 During the first two years of life, most of the growth
of brain cells occurs, accompanied by the structuring
of neural connections in the brain.
 This process is affected not only by the child’s nutritional
and health status, the most important issue in the child’s
life is the interaction a child develops and the attachment
the child has with the people and things in the environ-
ment.
 If the brain develops well, learning potential is increased
and chances of failure in schools and in life are decreased.
 The participation of the child in society as an adult and the
successful education of the child during her or his year of
schooling depends to a great degree upon the foundation
laid in the early years.

The great Sigmund Freud

‘A child is a father of a man’
 Human/Child Rights Argument
 Every child has the right to development ( article 6 of the CRC- right
to survival and development)
 Scientific Argument
 Brain development: Early childhood is the peak of brain development,
almost 80% of brain cell connection is made by the age 0-3 years
 Economic Argument
 higher return and productivity
 Cost of rehabilitation is more expensive
 Reduced child mortality and psychosocial problems
 on time enrolment, decreased repetitions and dropout thus reduces
wastage and improves primary school performance
 Social/ Equity Argument
 Reduce the effects of socio-economic and gender disparities
 Economic Evidence for the Importance of
Early Childhood

Carneiro, P., & Heckman, J.J. (2003). Human Capital Policy. University of Chicago.
 -TAKE ADVAN-
TAGE OF MAL-
LEABILITY

-BUILD STRONG
FOUNDATIONS
FOR FURTHER
LEARNING

-PREVENT EARLY
DAMAGE / AVOID
LOSS OF POTEN-
TIAL WHICH
CANNOT BE RE-
MEDIATED

INVEST STRONGLY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS,

EVEN IF PAYOFF IS ONLY 20+ YEARS FROM TODAY 11
Source: Pedro Carneiro, 2008
 Program group
No-program group

Earn $2,000 + 29%

monthly 7%

36%
Own home
13%

Never on welfare as 41%

adult 20%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Barnett, W.S. (1996). Lives in the balance: Benefit-cost analysis of the Perry Preschool Program through age 27. Monographs of the High/Scope Educational12Re-
search Foundation. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Press.
 EFA Goals MDGs
1. Expand and improve comprehensive
early childhood care and education 1. Eradicate extreme poverty
2. Universal primary education by 2015 and hunger
3. Learning and life skills programs for
youth and adults 2. Achieve universal primary
education
4. 50% increase in adult literacy rates
by 2015
3. Promote gender equality
5. Gender parity by 2005 and gender and empower women
equality by 2015
6. Improving quality of education 4. Reduce child mortality, and
other health goals
 Sub-Saharn Africa = 14%
 Kenya = 52%
 Zimbabwe = 43%
 Ethiopia = 4.8% (Drop-out grade 1 = 21%)
(MOE,2009/10)
 Addis Ababa = 75% (AAAEB,2010)
~more than 25,000 preschool age children
don`t get access for formal kindergarten
(CSA,2007;AAAEB,2010).
14
 Situation of ECCE (Challenges and Policy Framework)
in Ethiopia
 Current status and Challenges
The ECCE report developed through review of doc-
uments, observations, surveys and interviews found
Ethiopia is faced with major challenges. Among
those cited were the following:
 Lack of proper training of teachers
 Lack of a standard curriculum and guidelines
 Lack of access for children with disabilities
  48% of the Ethiopian population are children un-
der the age of 15
 123 children out of 1000 die before the age of five
 38%of children under five are underweight
 61% of under five children are with vitamin A de-
ficiency, which causes poor attention, learning and
school performance
 47% of under five children are with growth retar-
dation or stunting
 83%of the children are with iodine deficiency,
which results in poor attention, learning and
school performance
 95.2% of children 4-6 years do not attend
pre-schools and even the 4.8% who have access
to pre-primary are urban children whose parents
could afford to send their children to private ECCE
centers.
 54.9% Grade 1 Net Intake Rate (NIR)
 About 18.3% drop out in grade 1
 Many children have not had the opportunity of
early stimulation and do not express themselves
 Many children begin school too late (1 after 7
years)
 Even though Early Childhood Care and Education
(ECCE) is one of the most neglected areas in Ethiopia, in
the last few years, the private sector has shown a grow-
ing interest in investing in early childhood education in
the urban centers particularly in Addis Ababa
 This opportunity is accessible for very few children from a
well-to-do family.
 The participation rate of early childhood education in
Ethiopia is about 9%, which is nationally a negligible fig-
ure.
 Presently, few preschools are available through government
programs. Preschool education is conducted primarily
through the auspices of NGOs, private providers of reli-
gious organization.
 There are few preschools that accept children with disabili-
ties, orphans and vulnerable children, or those from lower
socioeconomic homes.
 This range suggests that preschools are available primarily
to parents who place high priority on education and can af-
ford the programs.
 Curriculum also shows a wide range of activities.
But many pre-schools experience pressure from
parents to teach English and academic subjects,
rather than developmentally appropriate activities.
 There is a lack of understanding of early childhood
development in areas including physical, social,
and cognitive.
 Although the MoE has prepared a curriculum for
educating children, few preschools were aware of
it and far fewer use it as a guide for their programs.
 Communities and parents are not aware of early interven-
tions/health and learning needs of young children
 Children come to primary schools with out any readiness
and schools are also not ready for the young learners
 Limited culturally relevant storybooks for children (in most
of the preschools seems to force these preschools to collect
foreign books, some of which are even not appropriate to
the age of children)
 Low quality of existing pre-school programmes - lack of
culturally relevant and developmentally appropriate curricu-
lum and the use of English as medium of instruction, lack of
trained teachers
 Limited capacity (both human and financial)to develop and
provide cost effective model ECCE interventions both cen-
ter based and community/ home-based
 Decentralization policy which empowers communities
 Increasing awareness on the importance of ECCE at all levels ( Regions,
HEW, teachers, kebele leaders)
 A commitment on the side of the Ministry of Education and other relevant
Ministries
 The MOE is in collaboration with the relevant Ministries and other stake-
holders developed draft ECCE Policy Framework, strategy and guidelines
 Already on going grassroots‘ level practices in ECCE-Private, NGOs and
faith-based organizations
 Experiences on one classroom dedicated to ECCE in primary schools in
some regions
 ABE centers closer to communities
 Availability of local potentials (folktales, games, traditional songs, stories
etc
 Experiences on ECCE centers attached to Child friendly schools
 Ethiopia is one of the 6 pilot countries for Getting Ready for School: A
Child-to- Child Initiative which will be based on the Ethiopian Culture
where young child is tutored and cared by older siblings and neighbors
 The government of Ethiopia has recognized the critical im-
portance of early child hood care and education as the fun-
damental pillar of accelerating the attainment of Education
for All and the Millennium Development Goals.

 The Ministry of Education has developed an education and

training policy that encompasses the over all and specific ob-
jectives and strategies together with the mechanism of im-
plementing it.
 Based on this policy, the Ministry has been exerting an effort

to put the policy into practice

 A national base-line study was conducted to explore the sta-
tus of early education and care in the country.
 The research instruments developed by the Research Team
were evaluated and modified by major stakeholders form
sector ministries and regional educational bureaus in a vali-
dation workshop at the inception of the research.
 In a final workshop, a technical committee, consisting of
representatives of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of
Health, UNICEF, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, the Ad-
dis Ababa University, the Kotebe College of Teacher Educa-
tion, the Save the Children Alliance and the Basic Education
Network was formed as a Task Force and prepared a policy
framework for ECCE, a Strategic Operational plan and
Guidelines.
The policy framework includes the following objectives:
 To establish a coherent governances structure for ECCE and
ensure mainstreaming of ECCE in all relevant national poli-
cies and programmes.
 To promote and support development of Accessible, Equi-
table and Quality ECCE Services, for all children, in partic-
ularly for vulnerable, disabled and marginalized children.
 To protect young children from any form of abuse & harm-
ful practices.
 To promote and strengthen partnerships and col-
laboration among all stakeholders required for
the effective delivery of services and pro-
grammes for young children.
 To mobilize, plan and allocate the necessary re-
sources to ensure quality services for all children
from birth to seven years of age.
The ECCE in Ethiopia will have four basic pillars:
1. Parental education
2. Health and Early Stimulation Program

(Birth to 3 years)
3. Pre-schools: community-based
kindergartens(3+ - 6+years)
4. A community-based Non-formal school
readiness.
 All parents will be empowered and supported to effec-
tively play their roles and responsibilities for bringing up
children.
 Parental education focuses on improving the practical nur-
turing skills of parents and caretakers.
 It includes pre-natal, natal and post natal care, child devel-
opment, the importance of good health care and commu-
nity-based nutrition, hygiene and the role of parents in
early stimulation.
 Parental education will also be integrated in existing pro-
grammes:
- The Health Extension Program (HEP), delivered by the
Voluntary Community Health Workers (VCHW) and by
the model Families, under the supervision of the Health
Extension Workers (HEW).
- Functional Adult literacy education.
 Home based – Interpersonal; counseling, group
discussions etc;

 Centered based – Health posts, schools, churches,

mosques, ABE centers, any community forums;

 Training materials for HEWS, Model families,

VCHWs etc will incorporate child stimulation and
psycho-social support;

 The media will play an important role;

32
 The existing Health Extension Program (HEP) will include
a developmental stimulation component.
 Main activities will include growth and health monitoring,
addressing developmental needs and preventive health care,
full immunization, early stimulation and parental education.
 Community Health Days will be organized to provide nutri-
tional screening and micro-nutrient services.
 The program will also deal with the quality of adults care
and adult-child interaction, and early stimulation at family
and community levels.
 The Health Extension Workers (HEW) together with the
Voluntary Community Health Workers (VCHW) are respon-
sible for the activities carried out in the households and at
community level, in he health posts or other centers.
 The pre –schools program focuses on the acquisition of basic skills
(pre-reading, pre-writing, counting and arithmetic) and social-emo-
tional skills in preparation for the child’s formal schooling.
 The social and physical environment of the preschools will be safe
and secure as well as receptive and child-friendly.
 Besides the primary role of the pre-school teacher as first person re-
sponsible for the pre-school program, the role of the health worker
in awareness-raising and health training of the pre-school children,
their parents and teachers is also important.
 Full immunization programs, growth monitoring and preventive
health care interventions will be included in the pre-schools pro-
gram.
 Where there are no pre-schools, any suitable
available community building can be used, in-
cluding community centers, churches or
mosques, ABE centers.
 Responsibility for the pre-schools is with the
Ministry of Education developing curriculum,
training of teachers, development of play and
teaching materials.
 The core of the child-to-Child Initiative is that older chil-
dren in the community engage in structured play-oriented
activities with their younger siblings and neighboring chil-
dren.
 The main aim of he Child-to-Child Initiative is to better
prepare young children for primary school.
 They do so in their own houses or in a place close to the
participating children’s homes.
 The activities are adapted to the local context and fit in with
the children’s daily life.
 The young facilitators are grade 5 and 6 students trained
and guided by their teachers.
 Additional initiatives that are cost effective will also be de-
veloped
 Min. of Education
- Teacher training, certifies teachers
- Curriculum development
- Supervision of all pre-school activities and non-formal education
- Parental education development (with MoH)
- Capacity building and advocacy as cross cutting issue
 Min. of Health
- Health Extension Programme HEP; family health package
- Early stimulation as part of HEP
- Training and supervision of HEW and VCHW’s
- Parental education development with MoE
- Capacity building and advocacy as cross cutting issue
 Min. of Women Affairs
- Identifying and promoting good child rearing practices/harm full practices
- Protection and care of children/awareness of child rights and welfare
- Capacity building and advocacy as cross cutting issue
- Mobilizing and support for the establishment of community based preschools by
the women’s associations at local level
 Ministry of Education–
Interim Coordinating
Ministry
Ministry of
Women’s Steering Committee Ministry of Health
Affairs With participants
of relevant ministries
Task Force ECCE unit Expertise Center for higher
•Policy Framework Learning institutions
•Guidelines •Education & Training at Degree level
•Program packages/ pilots •Material Development
•
•Financial needs ECCE technical committee Research and innovation
at Regional level
(Council)
RWAB
REB RHB

ECCE technical Committee

at Woreda level
WWAO
WEO WHO
Kebele ECCE implementing Committee
• Kebele Admin Office
• Women Associations
• Health Extension Workers
• Youth Associations
• Kebele Education and Training Board
• Kebele Health Committee
 Woreda (sub-city) education office can provide su-
pervisory support to improve quality of learning.
 It is also the responsibility of woreda (sub-city) to
undertake early stimulation, early identification and
assessment of children with special needs.
 The woreda can also facilitate the building of
classes for ECCE centers.
The curriculum should be designed to meet the holis-
tic needs of different age groups:
• Only government approved curriculum will be used in all
centers.
• The curriculum will be used as a guide to ensure incorpora-
tion of developmentally appropriate content, concepts and
activities.
• The teacher should therefore use his/her creativity in addi-
tion to the curriculum to foster holistic development for all
children.
Those entrusted with the responsibility of supporting
the learning and development of pre-schools chil-
dren should have the following qualities:
• Process a certificate from TEI of a 10 months pre-
school teacher training course or a teacher whose
skills and knowledge have been up graded by a 2
months course, especially for the “active learning of
children” component.
• The teacher – child ratio in the pre-school 3+-
5years is 1:15 and 5 - 6+ years is 1:20.
 The monitoring and evaluation work can be done with
Woreda (sub-city) experts or supervisors.
 They supervise ECCE centers by using standards which are
developed by MOE with consultation with REB.

 By using standard they develop check list to evaluate

whether the pre-primary schools or centers are working ac-
cording to guidelines provided by Woreda (sub-city).

 Whether they are following the government curriculum, and

teachers and care-givers are trained at standard level. Facil-
ities are at standard level. etc.
“All children should grow up well to become
physically healthy, mentally alert, socially-emo-
tionally sound and ready to learn”