Education International Research
Quality of ECE provision is too often compromised Though some concrete efforts to improve ECE provision were identified by education unions, over half the unions surveyed perceived that no improvements to ECE had been made whatsoever since governments committed to the SDGs in 2015, and in some cases educators attest that the quality and quantity of ECE provision has actually declined. Some countries are taking steps to improve ECE curriculum by making it more holistic, such as Sweden, whose new ECE curriculum is due to be implemented in 2019. Education unions often play a role in securing these positive changes. In 2018, Denmark introduced a new, more holistic curriculum that celebrates the importance of children’s play, wellbeing and perspectives after BUPL (the Danish Union of Early Childhood Educators) encouraged the establishment of a commission to include the perspectives of social partners, experts and stakeholders in the development of curricula. In Ghana, GNAT78 reported that they are involved in strategic planning for ECE and are advocating for their government to review the ECE curriculum and make it more “childcentred”. However, some educators noted that ECE curricula in their countries had narrowed as a result of an increasing focus on learning outcomes in core (examination) subjects. Though fewer unions identified narrow curricula as an obstacle at the ECE level than at the primary and secondary level, some educators noted that they were concerned by the increasing prevalence of assessments for very young children, as these can inhibit children’s right to childhood and play. In the UK, NASUWT stated that the bureaucracy associated with assessment systems hinders ECE educators from focusing on their primary responsibilities for teaching and learning. Educators in Turkey denounced the spread of “Sibyan” (Islamic) ECE schools, which offer a narrow curriculum that focuses on religion at the expense of other subjects and uses conservative pedagogical methods. Pupil-teacher ratios remain too high to ensure quality in both low- and high-income countries. The ILO Policy Guidelines on the promotion of decent work for ECE personnel recommend maximum class sizes of 20 children and qualified staff–child ratios of approximately 1:10 or less for better learning outcomes in developed countries.79 In Norway, unions report an increase in these ratios since 2015. Unions in multiple low-income countries report that ECE institutions are not childfriendly learning environments, lacking basic facilities and pedagogical materials.
Fragmented, uncoordinated ECE governance hinders quality Educators note that fragmented coordination of ECE can pose difficulties for effective provision. ECE is often not considered part of the education sector or is split between multiple sectors. In India, for example, educators report that ECE is not coordinated by the Department of Education. Similarly, in Quebec, unions indicate that ECE is not included in the ECE budget but rather in the Ministry of Family’s budget. In South Africa, efforts are under way to bring ECE, which currently sits between education, health and social development, under the umbrella of the Department of Basic Education. Recently in Ghana, unions celebrated the mainstreaming of ECE when the sector moved from under the control of the Department of Social Welfare to the Ghana Education Service. GRO.EI-IE
Despite the benefits of being considered part of the education sector, educators advise that in order to guarantee quality ECE, it is also important to ensure strong cooperation between sectors. As such, unions in Ghana and Kenya are currently campaigning for intersectoral approaches to ECE. Ensuring better coordination between the Ministries of Education and Health, for example, is deemed vital for quality ECE policies such as facilitating school feeding and vaccinations for ECE students.
There is a shortage of qualified ECE teachers 0302 NOITA CUDE
Education unions responding to EI’s Status of Teachers survey perceived ECE to have the most “serious shortages” of teachers of any sector. The shortage presents a challenge that affects both low and highincome countries. In Zambia, ZNUT80 reported that public ECE centres recruited over 1,000 new teachers in 2018, but shortages remain. In Australia, improvements to qualification levels have taken longer than expected, and a shortage in the workforce has meant that requirements have been “softened”. 78 Ghana National Association of Teachers 79 ILO Policy Guidelines. 2014. p. 28. Retrieved from: https://www.ilo.org/sector/Resources/codes-of-practice-and-guidelines/WCMS_236528/lang--en/index.htm 80 Zambia National Union of Teachers
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