UNICEF’s first global report on pre-primary education presents a comprehensive analysis of the status of early childhood education worldwide. It also outlines a set of practical recommendations for governments and partners to make quality pre-primary education universal and routine. Noting that at least 175 million children – 50 per cent of the world’s pre-primary-age population – are not enrolled in pre-primary programmes, the report urges governments to commit at least 10 per cent of their national education budgets to scale them up. Such funding should be invested in pre-primary teachers, quality standards and equitable expansion, the report states.
Le premier rapport mondial de l’UNICEF sur l’enseignement préprimaire présente une analyse approfondie de la situation de l’éducation de la petite enfance dans le monde. Il fournit également un ensemble de recommandations pratiques à l’intention des gouvernements et des partenaires pour rendre l’enseignement préprimaire de qualité universel et normal. Prenant note qu’au moins 175 millions d’enfants – 50 % de la population en âge de fréquenter l’enseignement préprimaire – ne participent à aucun programme d’enseignement préprimaire, le rapport appelle les gouvernements à consacrer 10 % de leur budget national alloué à l’éducation afin de les développer. Les fonds devraient être investis à l’appui des instituteurs, de l’établissement de normes de qualité et d’une expansion équitable, indique le rapport.
This book is part of UNESCO’s Education on the Move series created to provide policy-makers, educators and other stakeholders with state-of- the-art analyses of topical issues. The book is divided into three main chapters each including vigorous research papers that critically analyse ECCE-related themes. The first part discusses ‘understanding ECCE as a right and development imperative’. The second part provides an overview of ‘meeting the challenges of inequality in and through ECCE; and the third part is dedicated to a scrutiny of ‘ensuring quality ECCE through contextually relevant provisions. Repositioning ECCE in the post-2015 agenda, Investing against evidence: the global state of early childhood care and education, is therefore a must-read offering a useful, multi-disciplinary, liable account of ECCE for all education stakeholders.
The Latin American Campaign for the Right to Education (CLADE, by its Spanish acronym) is a pluralistic network of civil society organizations with a presence in 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, which promotes social mobilization and political advocacy to defend the human right to education. This collection of articles, essays and statements reflect on the vital role of public education in the region and the fault lines exposed by the pandemic, considering both the challenges public education in Latin America faces and possible solutions, alternatives and ways forward.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the responses of States thereto have had a very significant impact on the enjoyment of a wide range of social rights. The Council of Europe’s European Social Charter provides a framework for the measures that must be taken by States Parties to cope with the pandemic as it unfolds. The treaty also provides a necessary framework for the post-pandemic social and economic recovery as well as for preparation for and responses to possible future crises of this nature.
With the present statement the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) aims to highlight those Charter rights that are particularly engaged by the COVID-19 crisis. (It does not address the right to protection of health under Article 11 of the Charter, which was the subject of a separate statement adopted in April 20201 ). The statement provides guidance to States Parties, organisations of workers and employers, civil society and other key stakeholders by clarifying certain aspects of the Charter rights in question as they apply in the current crisis.
Early childhood education has the potential to expand opportunities for disadvantaged children, provided that programmes use inclusion as a guiding principle. While the international community has committed to inclusive education, countries vary in their efforts to extend this goal to early childhood. Universal access is the basis of inclusion, and countries must address barriers related to socio-economic status, ethnicity, gender, language, disability and remoteness. Cooperation among multiple actors to identify special needs early and provide integrated services is needed, as are inclusive curricula that support children’s socioemotional development and identity formation. Finally, educators must be given the knowledge, training, and support to implement inclusive practices and work with families from all backgrounds.
Inclusion should be a principal commitment from early childhood. According to the latest estimates from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the number of children not enrolled in pre-school in the year before primary school has decreased over the past decade, from 52.1 million in 2009 to 47.2 million in 2018. Despite this progress, the large number of children still excluded from pre-school is a major concern, given the strong evidence linking access to inclusive early childhood care and education (ECCE) with school success, overall development, and well-being. Early childhood services aim to provide for all children equally, but when the most vulnerable children are excluded or ignored, universal participation is unattainable. Many children are denied access because of gender, disability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, geographic location, language, refugee or displaced status, or due to a humanitarian crisis or natural disaster. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this exclusion. Today, more than ever, it is vital to intensify advocacy and concrete efforts to guarantee the right of every child to ECCE by mobilizing the multiple actors working to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) and its targets related to inclusive early childhood education.
This publication presents and discusses both qualitative and quantitative data for a renewed, action-oriented global commitment to universal and inclusive early childhood services. The recommendations have emerged from a literature review and consultations with experts, practitioners, and academics from multiple countries. It is intended for policy-makers, managers of ECCE programmes and services, practitioners, development partners, families, and research institutions. It recommends measures to be taken by policy-makers in consultation with relevant actors in order to make ECCE more inclusive. The measures are supported by research and illustrated by inspiring examples from across the globe. This publication supports all stakeholders who are committed to make inclusion from early childhood a reality.
L’inclusion doit faire partie des engagements prioritaires dès la petite enfance. Selon les dernières estimations de l’Institut de statistique de l’UNESCO, le nombre d’enfants de moins de 6 ans non inscrits au pré-primaire a diminué au cours de la dernière décennie, passant de 52,1 millions, en 2009, à 47,2 millions, en 2018. Malgré cette avancée, cette situation reste très préoccupante, compte tenu de la relation entre l’accès aux services d’éducation inclusive et de protection de la petite enfance et le développement, le bien-être de l’enfant et la réussite scolaire. Les services à la petite enfance visent à accueillir tous les enfants, dans un souci d’égalité, mais si les plus vulnérables d’entre eux sont exclus et ne sont pas prioritaires, cet objectif risque d’être compromis. De nombreux enfants n’ont pas accès à l’éducation, en raison de leur handicap, de leur origine ethnique, de leur condition socio-économique, de leur situation géographique, de leur langue maternelle, de leur statut de réfugié ou de déplacé, ou d’un contexte de crise humanitaire. La pandémie de COVID-19 a exacerbé cette situation et, aujourd’hui plus que jamais, il devient indispensable de poursuivre et d’intensifier le plaidoyer et les efforts visant à assurer un droit universel à une inclusion dans l’éducation dès la petite enfance.Il importe de mobiliser les divers acteurs de l’inclusion, en vue de réaliser l’Objectif de développement durable 4 (ODD 4) et ses cibles relatives à la petite enfance.
Cette publication présente des données qualitatives et quantitatives et des réflexions orientées vers l’action, appelant à l’engagement mondial renouvelé en faveur de l’inclusion dès la petite enfance. Ses arguments se fondent sur la consultation d’experts, de praticiens et d’universitaires de divers pays et sur des activités de recherche documentaire récentes. Elle s’adresse aux décideurs politiques, aux gestionnaires des programmes et structures d’éducation et de protection de la petite enfance, aux intervenants, aux partenaires de développement, aux familles et aux institutions de recherche.Elle recommande aux décideurs politiques des mesures à prendre en concertation avec les acteurs concernés ainsi que des pistes d’intervention, dans la perspective de rendre l’éducation et la protection de la petite enfance (EPPE) plus inclusive. Ses propos s’appuient sur des exemples inspirants provenant de différents pays et sur des résultats de recherche.
Cette publication vise à soutenir l’action des divers intervenants impliqués et engagés en faveur d’une inclusion dans l’éducation dès la petite enfance.