Early inequity leads to lifelong inequity in learning outcomes and educational opportunities

1. World Conference on Early Childhood Care and EducationWC ECCE27 to 29 September 2010 Moscow, Russian Federation

2. Early inequity leads to lifelong inequity in learning outcomes and educational opportunities In Ecuador, a study of 3- to 5-year-olds marks a clear association between a child’s cognitive score and the family’s socioeconomic status. The gap begins early and widens over time. Source: UNESCO, Global Monitoring Report 2010, from Paxson and Schady (2005).

3. Vulnerable children excluded from ECCE programmes 3-to 5-year olds from urban areas or with educated mothers are more likely to participate in early learning programmes Source: UNICEF, Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS3).

4. Varied access to programmes for children under age 3 Countries in region with at least one formal programme including children under 3 (%) Source: UNESCO, EFA Global Monitoring Report .

5. Wide variation in pre-primary participation across regions Pre-primary gross enrolment ratio (%) in 2008 Source: UNESCO, EFA Global Monitoring Report 2011.

6. Human Brain Development – Synapse FormationEarly childhood is an optimal moment to support sensory, cognitive, social & language development Language Sensing Pathways Higher Cognitive Function (vision, hearing) 9 -3 3 1 0 6 4 8 12 16 -6 Months Years Conception AGE C. Nelson, in From Neurons to Neighborhoods, 2000

7. Heckman’s curve - rates of return to human capital investments across all ages Heckman, 2008: Schools, Skills, and Synapses

8. Early Childhood Care and Education providing for holistic attention that include health, nutrition, early stimulation and protection, resulting in: • Better school readiness, attendance, learning, internal efficiency • Improved early brain development • Improved cognitive development and primary school achievement • Higher school enrolment • Reduced drop out rates • Improved delivery of nutrition and health services • Reduced risks of social delinquency • Gender parity

9. Studies point to significant relationships between cognitive achievement and school expenditure, teachers’ and practitioners’ educational training and adequate play and learning facilities • School performance (as measured by test scores) is significantly improved by textbook provision, smaller class sizes, adequate instructional time and sound teaching practices, including an age appropriate curricula • Policy development should target disadvantaged and vulnerable groups and aim towards gender equality and inclusive education

10. Examples of successful quality interventions Health sector-based intervention e.g. Posyandu (“health service post”) in Indonesia combining basic health services with parenting education Welfare sector-based intervention e.g. Conditional cash transfer in Mexico, Nicaragua Education sector-based intervention e.g. Community-based ECD centres in disadvantaged areas in Nepal; Madrasa Preschool Programme in East African countries e.g. Non-formal education programme for parents to promote better parenting in rural Tanzania Multi-sectoral intervention e.g. Parenting education for parents with children 0-6: Educate Your Child of Cuba and Better Early Childhood of Brazil

11. Strong foundations Early childhood care and education Global Launch New York26 October 2006

12. Primary education (age 6 up) Informal provision of care for children ECCE policies and programmes for ages 3 and up aged 0 to 8, by -pre-primary education parents or extended family, mainly at -non-formal education home but sometimes in other family or community settings. ECCE policies and programmes for ages 0 to 2 -organized care and education -non-formal care or education -support to parents • Providers • Governments (national, subnational) • Private sector (non-profit and for-profit) • International non-governmental organizations • Community-based organizations A diverse field Informal care and child rearing Organized care and education - parental leave

13. Action Now! Clear progress but more effort is needed • Act on all goals: early childhood,literacy and primary school • Act with urgency • Emphasize equity and inclusion • Increase public spending, and focus it better • Increase aid to basic education, and allocate where most needed • Move ECCE up national and international agendas • Increase public financing for ECCE, and target it • Upgrade the ECCE workforce

16. General information • Origin: Resolution 35 C/Resolution 15 adopted by the General Conference in October 2009 • Dates: 27-29 September 2010 • Sponsors: Russian Federation, ADEA, Saudi Arabia Fund, UNICEF, UNDP, ED/BAS, RBs and other FOs 16

17. Conference objectives • Heighten global awareness of ECCE as the right of all children and as development imperative • Encourage a dynamic and far-reaching reflection on the transformative powers of ECCE and reinforce its role as a basis for development • Take stock of progress, identify challenges and establish more effective benchmarks towards achieving Education for All • Engage governments, policy-makers, researchers and a range of institutions in reorienting national systems and programmes to take into account the early childhood years as a human right and an integral part of development • Promote global exchange of good practices 17

18. Programme: main thrust Opening: The ECCE global challenge - Setting the stage Plenary I: The ECCE development imperative Plenary II: The global state of the art: Scaling up towards 2015 Commission 1: Enabling the scale-up towards 2015 – Policy, finance, legal and institutional frameworks Commission 2: Regions / Russian Federation Plenary III: ECCE country best practices Commission 3: Quality and responsiveness Commission 4: Exclusion and marginalization Commission 5: Monitoring and evaluation of ECCE at national and international levels Plenary IV: Summary of the Conference Plenary V: Presentation and adoption of Plan of Action Closing: The way forward

19. Outcome • Moscow Plan of Action on ECCE - an actionable plan 19

20. Post-conference follow-ups • Annual virtual review • Biannual regional reviews linked to regional events (e.g. ADEA 2011) • Application of the HCDI to monitor and report progress toward 2015 and beyond • Post-conference follow-up plans of FO, RB, Institutes, HQ 20

21. UNESCO’s actions I. Support equitable access to quality ECCE • Heightening advocacy and support for ECCE • First World Conference on ECCE (Moscow, 2010) and the implementation of the Moscow Framework for Action and Cooperation • Strengthening the analytical and knowledge base for ECCE policy development • Handbook on ECCE • Strengthening national capacities to deliver ECCE • ECCE subsector analysis (e.g. Mongolia) • Thematic policy review on ECCE integration in Rep. of Korea • Strengthening global and national capacity for monitoring Goal 1 • Holistic Child Development Index • Intensifying resource mobilisation • Establishment of UNESCO ECCE Fund

22. Recommendation: Leveraging resources (i) • Mobilize national resources for primary education and ECCE - public and private - and use them more effectively

23. Recommendation: Leveraging resources (ii) • Increase the levels of donor resources for primary education and ECCE - and use them more effectively Disbursements of aid to basic education stopped increasing in 2008 Source: UNESCO, EFA Global Monitoring Report 2011.

24. Recommendation: Partnering with UNESCO • UN specialized agency for education, with the mandate to lead EFA • 5 functions - laboratory of ideas, standard-setting, clearing house, capacity builder, catalyst for international cooperation • A strong network of units, offices and specialized institutes that enable effective delivery in the field • Existing partnership mechanisms with external partners and networks (e.g. ADEA WGECD, ARNEC) for greater impact

26. http://www.unesco.org/new/ru/world-conference-on-ecce/resources/http://www.unesco.org/new/ru/world-conference-on-ecce/resources/

27. Nota Bene: Photos are taken from UNESCO Photobank and from the free internet sources ( such as flickr.com and others)