Early Childhood Education Global ConferenceMumbai, India

15 December 2011

THE GROWING AWARENESS OF QUALITY EARLY

CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN ASIA

Sally May TanChief Executive Officer

Knowledge Universe South East Asia

If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees;

if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.

Confucius

Factors at play affecting access and quality of ECE

Issue of responsibility

Policy and Infrastructure

Support

Supporting parents in

positive family care practices

The 2008 EFA* Global Monitoring Report stated that only 53% of the world’s countries

have ECE programmes for children under 3.

Image source: blogspot.com* Education For All

Around the world…

67 million children of primary-school age out of school

17% of the world’s adults (793 million people, two- thirds are women) still lack basic literacy skills.

2 million more teachers need to be recruited and trained by 2015 to achieve universal primary education

Source: unesco.org

What research tells us ...

“Rate of return of a dollar invested while a person is young

is higher than the rate of return of the same dollar made at a later

age.” James Heckman

Nobel Laureate, Economist

The Education for All (EFA) goals focus on the need to provide learning opportunities at every stage in life, from infancy to adulthood.

Image source: unesco.org

Goal #1 Expanding and improving comprehensive early

childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children

Image source: unesco.org

Goal #2 Ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls,

children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to, and complete, free and

compulsory primary education of good quality.Image source: huffingtonpost.com

Goal #3 Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate

learning and life-skills programmes

Goal #4 Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable

access to basic and continuing education for all adults.

Goal #5 Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary

education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of

good quality.

Goal #6 Improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring

excellence so that recognised and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy,

numeracy and essential life skills.

“The mandate to improve all aspects of the quality of education is largely dependent on the quality of the content; and for more and better trained teachers...”

UNESCO EFA Monitoring Report 2005

Source: unesco.org

Terms used to denote Early Childhood Services and Age Ranges covered in South Asia

Definition and Age Ranges

ECCE (0-6 years), including an array of private and NGO-sponsored programmes, creches for

working mothers, and pre-primary section in schools (3-6 years)

SingaporeSouth-East Asia Sub-Region

Image source: theasiaparent.com; trueknowledge.com

• HDI for 2011 = 0.866

Very high human development categorySingapore

• Position = 26 out of 187 countries & territories • Life expectancy at birth increased by 9.5 years

• Mean years of schooling increased by 5.1 years

• GNI per capita increased by 273.0%

Source: undp.org

ChinaEast Asia Sub-Region

Medium human development category

•Han Chinese 91.5%, minorities and other nationalities 8.5%

•HDI for 2011 = 0.687

•Position = 101 out of 187 countries & territories

•Life expectancy at birth 74.68 years

•Mean years of schooling 7.5Sources: stateuniversity.com; lonelyplanet.com; wikipedia.org

China

Terms used to denote Early Childhood Services and Age Ranges covered in South Asia

Definition and Age Ranges

ECCE (0-6 years), including an array of private and NGO-sponsored programmes, creches for working

mothers, and pre-primary section in schools (3-6 years)

Sources: theasianparent.com; chinadigitaltimes.net

IndiaSouth Asia Sub-Region

•Population : approximately 1,198,003,000

•Ethnic groups : Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3%

•HDI for 2011 = 0.547

•Position = 134 out of 187 countries & territories

•Life expectancy at birth 64.4 years

•Mean years of schooling 4.4

Medium human development category

Sources: infoplease.com; trueknowledge.com; atimes.com

India

Terms used to denote Early Childhood Services and Age Ranges covered in South

Asia

Definition and Age Ranges

ECCE (0-6 years), including an array of private and NGO-sponsored programmes, creches for

working mothers, and pre-primary section in schools (3-6 years)

Sources: flickr.com; outlookindia.com

MalaysiaSouth-East Asia Sub-Region

•Population : 28.7 million

•Ethnic groups : Malay 50.4%, Chinese 23.7%, indigenous 11%, Indian 7.1%, others 7.8%

•HDI for 2011 = 0.761

•Position = 61 out of 187 countries & territories

•Life expectancy at birth at 73.79 years

•Mean years of schooling: 12.6

High human development category

Sources: altiusdirectory.com; indexmundi.com; undp.org; trueknowledge.com

Terms used to denote Early Childhood Services and Age Ranges covered in South

Asia

Definition and Age Ranges

ECCE (0-6 years), including an array of private and NGO-sponsored programmes,

creches for working mothers, and pre-primary section in schools (3-6 years)

Malaysia

Sources: unhcr.org; worldofstock.com

Transform, not reform.

Images and Information Sources:•UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation)

-EFA Global Monitoring Report http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/efareport/reports/2011-conflict/-Education For All (EFA) http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/education-for-all/-The Dakar Framework for Education http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001211/121147e.pdf-The Quality Imperative http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/efareport/reports/2005-quality/

Early Learning Matters http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8U96Q_x3qENurturing the Children. Help Them Bloom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_ser1CA1yIChinese Migrant Children Given Opportunity to Attend School http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV_0NdRAThcEarly Education in India http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FR7ZJJjP7oGiving an early boost to the next generation of... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ivBr5YpZ-IChange the First Five Years and You Change Everything http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbSp88PBe9E

Credits

Cindy YewCurriculum Development ConsultantKnowledge Universe