Global Initiatives for Early Childhood Care and Education: Global Guidelines and Global Guidelines Assessment.
| Author | Trube, Mary Barbara |
Introduction
Having a good education was listed as a top priority in the "Global Conversation" which began in 2012, facilitated by the United Nations. The "Global Conversation" sought to learn what people want for their future world. More than four and a half million voices, of men and women, children and youth, were included in the almost one-hundred national dialogues; and, to include a full diversity of stake-holders, the post-2015 sustainable development "conversation" agenda was brought to local levels on an even greater global scale for dialogues (United Nations Development Program, 2014, p. v).
As noted by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) discussion of its purposes (UNDP, 2014, p. 3), "Localization of the agenda can help to ensure that different parts of society are included and that diversity is embraced." Such efforts demonstrate the increasing recognition that, in order to build trust, each society's characteristics and approaches must be taken into account and local communities should be able to modify and adapt agendas and thus embrace goals reflecting their collective voices. This is as true of early childhood care and education as it is of other social processes. Early childcare and education may take different forms from country to country because of differing purposes in those societies (Cochran, 2011, p. 67).
That a commitment to improving and sustaining the quality of early childhood care and education (ECCE) has reached global prominence can be seen in the actions of many international organizations during the past fifteen years (Cochran, 2011, p. 65). Progress for Children Beyond Averages: Learning from the MDGs (11th edition), published in June 2015 by UNICEF, presents the latest data showing that tremendous advances in the lives of the world's children have been driven by the Millennium Development Goals. It is clear, however, that development efforts in the past fifteen years have failed to reach millions of the most disadvantaged (UNICEF, 2015, p. iii). The report offers recommendations for where attention and action should be focused to reach the most vulnerable children and achieve sustainable growth (UNICEF, 2015, pg. 2):
* End violence against children.
* Put ending child poverty at the center of global poverty eradication.
* Renew the global effort to end preventable child and maternal deaths.
* Pay more attention to adolescence, the second decade of life.
* Leverage the growing 'Data Revolution' to support the rights of every child.
* Increase investments in all children, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized.
* Break the cycle of chronic crises affecting children.
* Prioritize education so that all children and adolescents are in school and learning.
* Stop girls being left out, held back and pushed aside.
* Tackle climate change for the sake of future generations.
Quality Early Childhood Care and Education
Global recognition of the importance of having a good education suggests that assessing quality in early childhood care, development, and education is a priority for many countries (Hardin, Stegelin, and Cecconi, 2015, p. 236). Moreover, international interest in quality ECCE programs is shared globally by stakeholders, including governmental leaders, policy makers, researchers, academics, and citizens (Raikes, Devercelli, and Kutaka, 2015, p. 238). However, defining quality is challenging due to diverse contexts internationally (Fontaine, Torre, Grafwallner, and Underhill, 2006, p. 157). Government policies, local resources, cultural norms and values, and language are among the diverse influences on the definition of quality ECCE. "Research increasingly points toward a holistic approach as including education with the [child] care is critical to ensuring quality" (Rentzou, 2015, p. 250). There have been agendas, conventions, and initiatives at the global level that address defining and improving quality programs and services internationally.
Positive developmental outcomes are realized by young children in ECCE programs deemed to be of high quality (Burchinal et al., 2009, p. 166), including providing high-quality inclusive experiences for children with disabilities (Kang, Kang, and Plunkett, 2015, p. 292). Further, high quality in ECCE programs is achieved more often when frameworks, guidelines, and evaluation criteria are monitored in an ongoing and consistent manner (Jalongo et al., 2004, p. 143). Research conducted by Burchinal, Vandergrift, Pianta, and Mashburn (2009) in eleven states in the United States suggests that "high-quality classrooms may be necessary to optimally improve social skills, reduce behavior problems, and promote reading, math, and language skills" (p. 175). Indicators of quality have been identified in several studies, including Burchinal et al.'s study, which found that young children from low-income families acquire academic skills and positive social outcomes in quality programs with active and engaged teachers and caregivers (2009, p. 175). In addition, DeMeulenaere (2015, p. 315) reports that quality exists in centers where attention is given to building positive relationships with families. Recognizing child and family uniqueness and striving for ways to provide many opportunities for families through parent-teacher conferences, community resources, and celebrations and special events contribute to and indicate quality. Further, evidence shows that quality is enhanced when ECCE programs partner with families (Romero-Contreras, 2015, p. 274).
Among the many common areas in the variety of global ECCE initiatives that were identified by Hardin and Bergen (2015, p. 259) are the importance of indoor and outdoor learning environments; curriculum content; learning and teaching interactions that produce positive outcomes for young children; and access to education and other services for all children, including children with disabilities (p. 259). In regard to childcare and education, there is growing international concern for access, equity, quality, and sustainability, as well as strong educator and caregiver preparation (NAEYC, n.d.).
Association for Childhood Education International
Recognizing the importance of...
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