Readiness for Early Childhood Education

1. Readiness for Early Childhood Education Before and Beyond 2015 Presented By Zahra Moulvi On Behalf of Amima Sayeed March 12, 2013 Paper presented at 57th CIES Conference through the support of the Education Support Program of the Open Society Foundations.

2. Presentation Overview • Data Trends – Access & Learning • Readiness Levels for ECE • Policies & Experience • Action & Implementation

3. Children not attending any pre-school 3 to 5 yrs • Enrollment of children of 3 – 5 years 37% in 2012 • Enrollment highest in Urban 55% compared to Rural 37%

4. RTE Calling: 5yrs Old in School

5. Provincial Trends

6. Readiness for School?

7. Are Schools Ready? • Teachers • Appointment & allocation • New positions not created • Overall budget provision for ECCE in school allocation, but no specific budget line • Attitude, interest, physical stamina & attributes • Content knowledge and pedagogy– learning, child development domains/ stages, active learning strategies • Pre-service: until recently TE was based on rote learning without specific ECE focus, leakages in evaluation frameworks. • New 2yr programmes designed yet to be rolled out • In-service: no framework for ECE, entirely through small-scale funded-projects. • Teachers who are trained are often not regular teachers , mostly para-teachers from projects

8. Are Schools Ready? • Spaces • Physical safety & security • Learning environment • Learning engagements • Operations • Budget • Supervision • Parental involvement & support • Learning resources

11. Developmentally Inappropriate Practices: Out of the frying pan, into the fire Out of School Children In –school Children Hazardous physical environment Instruction not interaction or engagement If at all, unaware and ill-equipped teachers Labeling, profiling, bullying – set up for early failure Damning emphasis on writing & discipline! Monolithic systems Kills the innate creative potential and diversity • Trapped if born into illiteracy, disinformation and poverty • No exposure to tools leading to critical thinking • Societal trend of disrespecting child’s views and independence • Economic pressures, forced and hazardous labour • Family disharmony, experience of abuse

12. ECE in Pakistan: What we have… • National Curriculum aligned with the developmental domains • Contextualized, consultative and research based • Frameworks for classroom implementation in rural and urban areas for ECE • Specific policies for ECE introduction, budgetary provisions and plans across Pakistan • Balochistan Sector Plan • Punjab ECE Strategy • Social Protection & RTE Bill in KPK & Sindh • A fantastic mix of technical and grassroots expertise for Teacher Education, follow-up and support

13. Supportive School Environment Core Competencies and Outcomes Competent Teacher Key Learning Areas Domains of Development Early Childhood Education Philosophy and Goals Domains of Development Key Learning Areas Supportive Policy Environments Parental Involvement in Learning Core Competencies and Outcomes ECE Implementation Framework

14. ECE: What is promised (NEP 2009 & RTE) • Recognition and strengthening of Katchi class as part of formal system and opening of Kachi/ECE classes in the public sector • At least one year pre-primary education shall be provided by the State and universal access to ECE shall be ensured within the next ten years. • Provision of financial and food support to children who drop out because of poverty at ECE • Two year pre-service training to ECE teachers based on NCECE

15. Marching towards 2015: What we need to do • Pay heed to research & start implementing policies! • Move from ECE to ECCE! (0-8 years) • End the randomness – use of terms, introduction of textbooks, lesson plans, formulas, investment of & on resources • Build capacities & spaces – thinking & planning, teachers, schools, community learning centres • Connect – research & policy, school & community, numeracy/literacy with cognition & development

16. Finally, Bring the Child back to the Centre!