I examined the website www.Developingchild.harvard.edu to gain additional knowledge about early childhood systems around the globe.
Last year the UNESCO held a conference, WCECCE in Moscow, to highlight brain research and how it impacts early development in children. According the information on the website the goal was increase action by members of the UNESCO. “According to a UNICEF report in 2006, more than 30 governments had established national early childhood development policies, and over 70 countries had some type of national commission to coordinate such programs across ministries and sectors” (www.developingchildharvard.edu). That number is surprising to me; since 2006 there are probably even more governments and/or countries that have established some type of initiative or policy but there are still so many problems that persist and challenge early childhood development and education.
In Santiago, Chile there is an initiative called “A Good Start” with the goal of improving the educational opportunities for 4-6 year old children. It hopes to impact early childhood education through teacher training and eventually 60 schools. This reminded me of the work we read about previously that trained parents in providing a safe, healthy, educational environment for their young children at home. Continuous training is needed for educators or parents in order to provide young children with the opportunities they need for emotional, social, and educational development. That is something that is common nationally and globally. All children deserve the best education that is inclusive to their mental and physical health.
The research developed at Harvard for the Center on the Developing Child is important to global issues that affect young children. The research that is generated in the U.S. is used to further initiatives across the globe; such as developing mental health strategies for children affected by HIV/Aids in Rwanda or how children in post-hurricane Haiti are recovering.
There is a vast disparity on the equity for early childhood education across the globe. Although all children deserve to grow up healthy and given the best experiences and opportunities to develop it is an inequity that still exists and must be changed
It seems, as I have been researching as well, that the trend towards strong ECE policy is world wide - but as you said there are still many problems. It seems that almost every country has issues with inequality of education based on economics. as you said, all children deserve to have good experiences and opportunities.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that even globally there is the need for policy makers to step it up when it comes to ECE. It saddens me that we have come so far but still we continually see how much further we have to go. It seems as though there is enough supporting evidence to education a priority but it still keeps being put aside or cuts continue to be made.
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