Research around the World

The link I choose to explore is the Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA):  http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/index.php ;   http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php

Some of the current international research topics on this site are based on child development and creating a collaboration amongst culture, research and practice; improving Africa’s contribution towards child development; thinking and acting towards child development to include a tint of cultural background in global phenomenon.

The insights about early childhood that I gained from exploring this international early childhood website, especially the videos, are as follows: many parents in Nigeria, especially in the northern part, prefer that their children attend Arabic school rather than Head Starts, but a northerner who has gone through the ECDVU education is helping to introduce the early childhood education and it is gradually gaining ground in the north. Early childhood care is everybody’s business; the more the children are happy in school, the more they are willing to learn and are retained to ensure quality education that will start them off in life. According to an ECDVU educationist In Ghana, “all hands must be on deck”.  While the ECDVU is just beginning in Nigeria, Ghana has evolved to the admiration of other African countries.

For some time in Malawi, too many children live far from school and during raining season, children do not go to school. An EC school was eventually built which became a model.  A model school is not built but made through team work.  In another community, some group of poor women also came together to build a school, on their own, for their children.  This is telling of how acceptable the ECDU has become in that country through an introduction by an ECDVU educationist. I believe we can do more!

Of noteworthy information is that the idea behind early childhood development virtual University is Learn at home, learn from others from other countries, engage in local communities, and make your home country a better place in order to reduce brain drain and increase brain gain.  Very similar to what Walden University is helping us and our countries to achieve.  Many Thanks to Walden University and our instructors!