Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

The new insights i gained from the UNESCO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education” website I visited this week are numerous.  First is on the standard quality for early childhood care and education programmes, ECCE. The site pointed out that currently, there is no agreed criteria for qualifying the quality of ECCE universally.  The site however noted some useful factors for consideration, including pedagogy materials, personnel training, service setting and parental education and involvement.   I also learnt that adequate learning materials focusing on child-centerd interaction should be present, and that the materials should be quantitative and should also address the culture and general child development. 

I also gained new insight from the”Investment and financing”section of the site.  As globally viewed, mobilization of resources is the highest difficulty faced by countries in their bid to expand and improve the quality of ECCE.  The result of this is particularly disheartening in the developing countries as a result of other pressing items like universal primary education overshadowing the funding of early childhood programs.  I understand that the major challenge is for countries to recognize the positive value of investment in the area of early childhood education, then, funds mobilization becomes easy.  In order to ensure equity of access for poor and disadvantaged children, there is need for governments to use complementary financing measures.

Of particular interest to me is the video clip in the “Social and human sciences” section on the website. The video clip is titled “The future we want”.  It is a form of opinion poll where people responded in various ways to the type of future they want ranging from healthy food, clean water, good jobs to healthy planets and a world of opportunities, this was rounded up with the statement that we all need to shape our future!  But honestly, I shed tears when I see what we do to these younger ones, what we inculcate in them daily; so much lies, distrust, loss of integrity making them believe that with money they can buy their ways on anything, anywhere.  I therefore re-echo the question: “What future do we want for ourselves and for the generations to come”?

UNESCO. “Early Childhood Care and Education”.  Retrieved from  (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/)