EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, CARE AND EDUCATION

1. EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, CARE AND EDUCATION FIFTH REGULAR MEETING OF THE CIE Gaby Fujimoto, Senior Specialist in Education Guayaquil, Ecuador, 2010 Office of Education and Culture

2. OAS Interventions • 1. Progress and results • 2. Challenges • 3. Outlook for the future of the Inter-American Program

3. FRAMEWORK OF REFERENCE:1. FIFTH MEETING OF MINISTERS OF EDUCATION November 2007 CIDI/RME/doc.10/07Colombia2. WORK PLAN OF THE CIE 2007-2009-2010

4. FRAMEWORK OF REFERENCE OF WORLD POLITICAL COMMITMENTS • 1989: Convention on the Rights of the Child and its General Comments No. 7 (Rights of the Child (2005); No. 11 of the indigenous child (2009), Summits of the Americas 1994-2010. • 1990-2000-2010: E PT, Millennium Development Goals, Dakar, OEI Goals for 2021; Moscow Framework of Action and Cooperation (2010).

5. FIFTH MEETING OF MINISTERS OF EDUCATIONNovember 15 and 16, 2007 CIDI/RME/doc.10/07Cartagena de Indias, Colombia HEMISPHERIC COMMITMENT TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (Adopted at the ninth plenary session held on November 16, 2007)

6. HEMISPHERIC COMMITMENT • WE REASSERT, early childhood… is a decisive stage in the life cycle of a human being and comprehensive early childhood care will enable us to tackle the challenges of poverty, inequity and social exclusion.

7. HEMISPHERIC COMMITMENT • WE AGREE, early childhood education is fundamental in thecomprehensive development process of children from birth to eight years of age… it is provided variably, must include the joint efforts of the family, school and community for the development of effective public policies, ….the contribution o various sectors of society..

8. PROGRESS: CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE FROM NEUROSCIENCE, PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY, BIOLOGY, PEDAGOGY, ETC., SUBSTANTIATE THAT CHILDREN HAVE THE INNATE CAPACITY TO LEARN, DEVELOP AND COMMUNICATE, WITH A HIGHLY FLEXIBLE BRAIN… THREE MONTHS AFTER BEING CONCEIVED.

9. CENTRAL AMERICA (7) NORTH AMERICA (3) CARIBBEAN (14) MERCOSUR (6) ANDEAN COUNTRIES (4) Guatemala El Salvador Honduras (no P) Nicaragua (no L) Costa Rica Panama –(no P) Dominican Republic (no P) Todos M Canada United States Mexico (information missing from L and P) PROGRESS: Laws on Maternity, Breast Feeding and Parenting to 2009 • Belize • Haiti (No P) • Jamaica (No P) • St. Lucia (No P) • S. V. & Grenadines • Grenada • St. Kitts / Nevis NM • Antigua & Barbuda • Dominica • Barbados • Trinidad & Tobago • NO INF. Guyana • Bahamas • Suriname All (M, L, P) Chile Brazil Bolivia Argentina Paraguay Uruguay All M, L, P Colombia - Ecuador - Peru - Venezuela

10. PROGRESS: INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING • CONSENSUS BUILDING, NATIONAL DIRECTORS TRAINED NO FEWER THAN THREE TIMES IN PRIORITY TOPICS. • 55 EDUCATION, HEALTH AND UNIVERSITY AGENTS PROVIDING FIRST DISTANCE LEARNING COURSE ON CARE FOR CHILDREN FROM 0 TO 3 YEARS OF AGE • TECHNICAL MEETING ON INNOVATIONS WITH CHILDREN FROM ZERO TO THREE YEARS OF AGE AND PARENTS FROM AMAZON AND INDIGENOUS AREAS, IQUITOS, NOV. 2010.

11. PROGRESS: INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING - STUDIES (ACADEMIC SECTOR, GOVERNMENT) IN SELECTED COUNTRIES BOOKS PUBLISHED ON: EQUITY IN INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS AND TRANSITIONS. (OAS Website) • ALL THE STATES HAVE LEGAL FRAMEWORKS AND LEGISATION WITH CONCEPTS ABOUT COMPREHENSIVE CARE, ACCEPT PARTNERING WITH OTHER DISCIPLINES, UNIVERSITIES, CIVIL SOCIETY, COMPANIES. HIGHEST SUCCESS LOCALLY AND IN MUNICIPALITIES.

12. PROGRESS: INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING • EXISTENCE OF: 1. COMMUNICATION AND AWARENESS/RAISING STRATEGY FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD, GUIDES FOR TEACHERS, AGENTS, AND COMMUNICATORS. • EARLY CHILDHOOD PORTAL, CD, TECHNICAL PAPERS. • EARLY CHILDHOOD WEB PAGE/LESSONS.

13. PROGRESS: EVALUATION, FOLLOW-UP AND MONITORING SYSTEMS • CULTURE OF EVALUATION AND STRIVING FOR CONSENSUS AMONG VARIOUS INITIATIVES; UNICEF, UNESCO, IDB, OEI, BR, CARIBBEAN, CO, CR (EVALUATION FORUM). • WORK OF SUBREGIONS BEING EVALUATED. • CARIBBEAN: INVITATION EXPECTED FOR JANUARY 2011, EVALUATION OF CHILDHOOD FROM ZERO TO THREE YEARS OF AGE. • IN MAY 2011, PARAGUAY IS CONVENING A HEMISPHERIC MEETING.

14. PROGRESS: INVESTMENT AND COORDINATION - SOUND WORKING PARTNERSHIP WITH UNICEF, VAN LEER, OEI, UNESCO, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND CIVIL SOCIETY INSTITUTIONS (INDE, CENDIS, AMEI, OTHERS). • DEVELOPMENT OF INITIATIVES FOR CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD: CALI, MEDELLIN, BUENOS AIRES, PERU (2011). • SUCCESS IN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN VAN LEER FOUNDATION, CANADA CIDA, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, CIVIL SOCIETY (EJM, CENDI MONTERREY).

15. CHALLENGES • EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT OF THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD. • HIGHER QUALITY OF EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND IN-HOUSE TRAINING FOR TEACHERS AND EDUCATION AGENTS TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE CARE AND FORMAL AND NON-SCHOOLTEACHING PRACTICES: • WITH MOTHERS (ROLE AS A MEDIATOR FOR TEACHING) • WITH ADULTS AND THE COMMUNITY • WITH SECTORS AND INSTITUTIONS • APPLICATION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

16. CHALLENGES • REDUCING GRADE REPETITION AND DROPOUT RATES AND TACKLING LOW QUALITY OF LEARNING DURING THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF BASIC EDUCATION. • POLITICAL WILL WITH ADEQUATE RESOURCES AND ADMINISTRATIVE FLEXIBILITY TO RESPOND TO THE DIVERSITY OF FORMAL AND NON-SCHOOL PROGRAMS. • PRIORITY GIVEN TO SERVICES TO INDIGENOUS, AMAZON AND RURAL POPULATION GROUPS FROM BIRTH UNTIL THREE YEARS OF AGE. • FURTHER PROGRAMS AND WORKSHOPS FOR SOCIAL ADVOCACY AND AWARENESS-RAISING

17. OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE: In view of the progress shown by the Member States in fulfilling the HEMISPHERIC COMMITMENT TO EARLY CHILDHOOD, we request the Ministers TO INSTRUCT the CIE and the TECHNICAL SECRETARIAT to prepare and approve THE INTER-AMERICAN PROGRAM ON COMPREHENSIVE EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE

18. Inter-American Program PURPOSE: TO CONSOLIDATE AND MAKE PROGRESS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HEMISPHERIC COMMITMENT. TO GIVE FURTHER IMPETUS TO ACTIONS, PROJECTS, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO PARTNERSHIPS WITH GOVERNMENTS, UNICEF, VAN LEER, OEI, UNESCO, CIVIL SOCIETY, BUSINESSES, UNIVERSITIES. TO RATIFY POLITICAL BACKGROUND, PROJECTS, ACCTIONS, JOINT SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. TO CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIAL PROTECTION, DEVELOPMENT, CARE AND EDUCATION.

19. Inter-American ProgramObjectives: Quality, investment, dissemination, advocacy. Comprehensive public policymaking, equity among vulnerable population groups. Scale greater than 0 -3. Better inter-sector and inter-agency coordination (nutrition, health, education, protection and welfare). Enhancing cooperation among governments, civil society, businessmen and social networks. Extending coverage, goals with inclusion. Improving evaluation systems: learning about education processes, services, programs/policies. Use of new technologies and higher teacher quality.

20. Inter-American ProgramLINES OF ACTION: KN0WLEDGE, ESTABLISHMENT OF NETWORKS, STUDIES. INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING: NATIONAL DIRECTORS, QUALITY; NONFORMAL SYSTEMS. MONITORING, FOLLOW-UP, EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM. FUNDING. October 2010, approval by the CIE, Guayaquil, Ecuador.

21. High-quality education, care and development for children (of and for life) focusing on human development must consider all of the following at the same time: • 1. Type and profile of teacher or education agents, aimed at performing a role as driving force behind culture. • 2. Type or profile of the center, program or service aimed more at fulfilling its social role; and • 3. Management and administration of education: one that is flexible, with decentralized management, highlighting cultural values and respecting diversity, innovative, with participatory, partnership-based, and cross-disciplinary work, use of technologies and relevant curriculum. • 4. Public policy wil to support equity, quality, flexibility, diversity and efficiency in the education of children.

22. Early Childhood Education