Early childhood care and education Strong foundations Early childhood care and education Presentation to the sixth High Level Group on EFA Cairo 15 November 2006

Evidence and analysis for policy and action About the Report Evidence and analysis for policy and action Prepared by an independent team based at UNESCO Paris Funded by nine bilateral donors, advised by an editorial board Charts progress toward the six EFA goals Assesses aid to education Highlights effective policies and practices to accelerate progress Draws attention to emerging challenges Four reports since 2002: Overall trends Gender Quality Literacy 1

Education for All Dakar Goals and Millennium Development Goals EFA Goals MDGs Expand and improve comprehensive early childhood care and education Universal primary education by 2015 Learning and life skills programmes for youth and adults 50% increase in adult literacy rates by 2015 Gender parity by 2005 and gender equality by 2015 Improving quality of education Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Achieve universal primary education Promote gender equality and empower women Reduce child mortality, and other health goals No country in need should be denied international assistance 2

EFA: Where do we stand? Out of 125 countries, 47 have achieved the EFA goals. Countries showing the greatest progress are in the lowest scoring group Excludes many countries far from goals, e.g. those in conflict Far from EFA (EDI below 0.80) Intermediate position (EDI between 0.80 and 0.94) EFA achieved or close 0.95 and 1.00) 50 28 2 18 1 3 6 11 4 8 19 47 15 17 Sub-Saharan Africa Arab States Central Asia East Asia/Pacific South and West Asia N. America /West. Europe Latin America/Caribbean Central/Eastern Europe The EFA Development Index (EDI), introduced in the 2003/4 Report, provides a summary measure of a country’s situation vis-à-vis four EFA goals: universal primary education (UPE), adult literacy, gender and quality of education. The data are insufficiently standardized to include early childhood care and education (goal 1) and the learning needs of youth and adults (goal 3). Each of the four goals is represented by a proxy indicator.[1] The EDI is a simple average of the four indicators; it varies between 0 and 1, with 1 representing EFA achievement. [1] UPE: total primary net enrolment ratio; adult literacy: literacy rate for persons aged 15 and over; gender parity and equality: the gender-specific EFA index; quality of education: survival rate to grade 5. Pages 64 and 65 of full report The index includes 125 countries with data – countries missing because they do not have data for the four indicators Total 3

Education finance: A mixed picture Number of countries where public expenditure on education as % of GNP has: Fadila: Decreased Increased – d majuscule, I majuscule Decreased ( dans une autre couleur Pour racourcir: South/W.Asia Lat. Am/Carrib. N. America/W. Europe Central/East. Europe ou E. Europe 106 countries have data for 1999 and 2004. Public spending on education as share of GNP increased in two-thirds of 106 countries with 1999 and 2004 data, in some cases by 30% or more. Share fell in Latin America in 12 out of 21 countries with data, and South and West Asia (three out of five with data) 41 65 4

Aid to basic education: On the increase Total aid to basic education in low-income countries almost doubled from 2000 to 2004 Total aid to education Total aid to basic education $1.8 billion in 2000 to $3.4 billion in 2004 in low-income countries reaching the EFA goals will cost $11 billion. Constant 2003 US$ billions 5

More and more children are starting school 1999 2004 80 100 120 140 Arab States Central/East. Europe N. America/ West. Europe East Asia/ Pacific Central Asia Sub-Saharan Africa Latin America/ Caribbean South/West Asia Gross intake rate in primary education (%) Sharp increases in Grade 1 access in Sub-Saharan Africa and South and West Asia Enrolment is not attendance Attendance is not learning See page 25 – 30% in SSA, rates of expansion rapid in Ethiopia, Guinea, Madagascar, the Niger and United Republic of Tanzania. More muted progress in Arab States except Yemen (+57%) Almost all countries with NERs below 85% in 1999 improved their situation 6

77 million children still not in school Half in sub-Saharan Africa One-third in India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Ethiopia Drop of 20 million since 1999, mainly in South Asia 60% never enroll, 31% enroll late, 9% enroll but drop out The 77 million figure includes children who are not enrolled in either primary or secondary school. Previous measures cited in the report looked at out of primary school only. Who’s out of school: rural, poor uneducated mother Important to note large reduction in India between 2002 and 2004 Offsetting poverty and disadvantage Abolish school fees Grants and scholarships for marginalized groups Better opportunities for the disabled; mainstreaming Incentives and community-based efforts to overcome need for child labour Early childhood programmes Mother tongue instruction Second chances Bridging programmes for youth and adults lacking formal schooling Youth and adult literacy programmes Programmes in post-conflict situations Policies to overcome barriers to education are in place in many countries but need to be expanded 7

Too few pupils complete primary school In addition to increasing access, improving retention is a key to reducing out-of-school children 20 40 60 80 100 Rwanda Burundi Lesotho Madagascar Ghana Swaziland Benin Niger Togo Eritrea Mali Cape Verde Cameroon Mauritius Mauritania Morocco Saudi Algeria Lebanon Oman Kuwait Mongolia Azerbaijan Tajikistan Kazakhstan Lao P. D. Myanmar Nepal Bangladesh Nicaragua Ecuador Guatemala Colombia Panama Bolivia Dominica Costa Rica Barbados Belarus Survival rates to last grade (%) Cohort completion rates (%) Est-il possible de retourner le graphique à la verticale?? Survival rates to last grade: the median for developing countries is below 80% Survival rates close to or above 90% in most Arab States except Mauritania (69%) and Morocco (76%) and Yemen (67%) LAC: less than 83% in majority of countries despite high level of access and school completion SSA: fewer than two-thirds of students reach the last grade in a majority of countries SWA: School retention low in several countries with data available (Bangladesh and Nepal for ex). 8

Needed: more trained teachers Slight improvement in pupil-teacher ratios in most regions between 1999 and 2004 Only slight increase in % of trained teachers Sub-Saharan Africa needs to recruit at least 1.6 million more teachers to reach UPE by 2015 Serious shortages in rural areas Too few female teachers in countries with low enrolment of girls 9

Secondary under pressure Participation increasing, mainly at lower secondary level Large gaps between lower and upper secondary in some regions 30 51 73 66 86 90 101 40 80 120 Sub-Saharan Africa South/West Asia East Asia/Pacific Arab States Lat. America/ Caribbean Central Asia Central/East. Europe N. America/ West. Europe Gross enrolment ratio 2004 (%) Lower secondary Total secondary Upper secondary 10

Progress towards gender parity About two-thirds of countries out of 181 with data have achieved gender parity in primary education Only one-third of countries have achieved parity at the secondary level Gender parity Primary education 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.1 GPI in GER Sub-Saharan Arab States South/West Latin America Centr./East. N. America/ Central Asia East Asia/ Africa Asia Caribbean Europe West. Europe Pacific Gender parity 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.1 1999 2004 Secondary education GPI in GER Centr./East. Sub-Saharan Arab States South/West Latin America N. America/ Central Asia East Asia/ Africa Asia Caribbean Europe West. Europe Pacific 11

Literacy remains elusive One in five adults – 781 million – lack basic literacy skills The vast majority live in South and West Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia The increase since 2004 (771 million) due to previously unavailable data for Afghanistan and changes in population estimates Two thirds of adult illiterates are women – one in four adults 12

Tackling disadvantage Poverty keeps children out of school Offsetting poverty and disadvantage Abolish school fees Grants, scholarships and cash transfers for marginalized groups Better opportunities for the disabled; mainstreaming Incentives and community-based efforts to overcome need for child labour Early childhood programmes Mother tongue instruction Second chances Bridging programmes for youth and adults lacking formal schooling Youth and adult literacy programmes Programmes in post-conflict situations Policies to overcome barriers to education are in place in many countries but need to be expanded The number of children out of school in the poorest 20% of household is more than triple than in the richest. Burundi abolished primary school fees in 2005; 500,000 additional children arrived to enrol on the first day of school. In Swaziland, which has the world’s highest prevalence of HIV and AIDS, the government allocated US$7.5 million in 2004 to orphans and other vulnerable children attending primary and secondary education. Enrolment has remained steady and dropout decreased. Brazil’s Bolsa Familia (formerly Bolsa Escola) programme provides income support to poor families based on conditions such as school attendance. The programme reaches over 5 million children. The Baljyothi programme in Andhra Pradesh, the state with largest number of working children in India, runs 250 schools (31,000 students) located in slums. The programme is a successful example of government-NGO collaboration. The Gambia Girls’ Scholarship Trust Fund provides full scholarships for tuition, books and examination fees to one-third of girls in schools with low enrolment and to 10% of girls excelling in science, mathematics and technology. More than 16,000 girls are taking part. The Educatodos programme in Honduras targets students and adults who have not completed nine years of basic education. Half a million students are enrolled in the primary school programme. Highlights are easily accessible learning centres, relevant content, flexible schedules and strong community support.In Uruguay a special inclusive education fund assists regular schools in integrating children with disabilities. Some 39,000 children have benefited. 13

The ECCE imperative: Young children under threat Child born in developing world has 40% chance of living in extreme poverty Poverty keeps millions of children out of school 31% of children in developing countries moderately or severely stunted 10.5 million under-5 children die each year, most from preventable diseases High under-5 mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa and South/West Asia Each day 1,800 children infected with HIV Children in emergency, conflict and post-conflict situations highly vulnerable High under 5 mortality rate in SSA: 176 children per 1,000 live births, 101 in South and West Asia More than one-quarter of children under 5 in sub-Saharan Africa are moderately or severely underweight 14

ECCE: strong foundations “Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children” Rights UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Development Poverty reduction and the MDG health and education goals Education Future participation and achievement Equity Reducing social inequality UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most widely ratified human rights treaty Commits countries to guarantee survival, protection and care of children Vulnerable and disadvantaged children: countries may have different definitions. Includes children with physical, emotional and learning disabilities; Children in emergencies; Working children in exploitative conditions; Malnourished and undernourished children; Street children, orphans, children in institutions; Children affected by HIV/AIDS; Linguistic, ethnic, cultural minority and indigenous; Migrant and nomad children; Unregistered children 15

Thinking comprehensively Holistic programmes encompass: Nutrition Nutrition Health and hygiene Physical and emotional development Social skills Education 16

Early childhood, nutrition and education Nutrition and Education Reinforce Each Other Early Childhood Participation Improves Later Education Iron, nutrition, deworming and psycho-social stimulation impact on learning Combining nutrition and education has larger and longer-lasting impact Access to primary school Retention in primary school Lower repetition Better language development Higher achievement 17

Acting early pays off ‘It is a rare public policy initiative that promotes fairness and social justice and at the same time promotes productivity in the economy and in society at large. Investing in disadvantaged young children is such a policy.’ James Heckman, Nobel economics prizewinner Most rigorous studies on benefits come from developed countries U.S. High/Scope Perry study of low-income African-American children higher IQ at age 5 enhanced success at school higher earning at age 40 High returns to programmes in India, Egypt, Colombia, Bolivia Returns greatest for poorest and most disadvantaged children High/Scope Perry study carried out in the 1960s. A longitudinal study that followed participants and a control group through to age 40 18

A diverse field Ages 0 to 2 Ages 3+ Providers Ages 0 to 8 Support to parents / Parental leave Organized / non-formal care and education Ages 0 to 8 Informal provision by parents or extended family, at home, family or community settings Ages 3+ Pre-primary and non-formal education for 3+ Providers Governments Private Sector (high private provision in Africa and Arab States, relatively high in Latin America/Caribbean) NGOs Community-based organizations 19

Programmes for the under-3s Many countries lack programmes addressing health, nutrition, care and education of the under 3s, a critical period in the child’s life Countries with at least one formal programme for children under 3 in 2005 (%) 20

Regional trends in pre-primary A three-fold increase in pre-primary enrolments over 30 years More than 1 in 3 children now enrolled but huge regional differences Developed/transition countries Latin America/Caribbean East Asia/Pacific South and West Asia Arab States Sub-Saharan Africa The dotted line signifies a break in the data series (new classification). See chapter 6. Low participation in sub-Saharan Africa, South/West Asia, and Arab States 21

Poverty limits access Higher attendance for children from 20 40 60 80 Niger D. R. Congo U. R. Tanzania Lao PDR Tajikistan Uganda Rwanda Senegal Egypt Bolivia Myanmar Azerbaijan Madagascar Sierra Leone Philippines Cameroon Kenya Nicaragua Mongolia Haiti Lesotho India Venezuela Viet Nam Colombia Trinidad/Tobago Attendance rates (%) Higher attendance for children from richer households Lower attendance among poor who would benefit most Attendance rates for three and four year olds. Poverty Large gaps in access between richest and poorest households Lack of mother’s secondary education Place of residence Rural enrolment 10 to 30 percentage points lower than urban Lack of centre close to home Lack of birth certificate, often reflecting marginalization Disadvantaged and vulnerable children stand to benefit most from early childhood programmes Poorer households Richer households 22

pre-primary education The gender factor Gender parity line 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.1 Arab States Central/East. Europe Central Asia East Asia/ Pacific South/West Asia N. America/ West. Europe Sub-Saharan Africa Latin America/ Caribbean The gender gap in early childhood programme enrolments is small in most countries Programmes relieve older sisters from caring for the youngest, a common barrier to girls’ schooling Programmes can promote positive gender socialization Most children enrolled from wealthier households Promoting positive gender socialization through curricula, teaching styles and attitudes, learning materials GPI in GER in pre-primary education 23

Early childhood is still not a priority in many developing countries Why the policy neglect? Early childhood is still not a priority in many developing countries Slow response to social and economic trends Role of the family vs role of the state Diversity of sector makes coordination difficult Child development research results not well known Lack of rigorous studies in developing countries Governments prioritize primary education International aid focuses on other education levels 24

Strong policies for young children Policy Environment Policy Elements Staffing, training and standards for all providers Explicit provision for disadvantaged and vulnerable Partnerships: NGOs, private sector and international agencies Financing: higher spending, targeting and more aid Top-level political endorsement A national early childhood policy grouping multiple players A lead agency to coordinate early childhood policies Integration in national development plans and PRSPs 25

Quality: what is needed The quality of interaction between carer and child is the single most important determinant of programme success Involving parents Parental education, including women’s literacy Community programmes supporting young children and families More engagement in formal programmes (parents as resource people) Continuity between home, ECCE and primary school School readiness and ready schools Better training and support for ECCE staff Minimum standards covering private and public providers Promoting inclusion cultural diversity and gender equality mother tongue learning children with disabilities and other special needs 26

Financing ECCE: Finding the balance How to allocate limited resources to children most in need? Funding is public and private Less than 10% of public education spending goes to pre-primary Even in OECD countries, parents’ share can run up to 60% Universal coverage + extra support to disadvantaged children (OECD) Income targeting Geographical targeting (remote areas,urban slums) Targeting specific groups: disabled, those in emergency situations A universal policy with targeted spending on most disadvantaged? 27

ECCE: A low priority for donors Almost all donors allocate to pre-primary less than 10% of what they give to primary Bilateral donors give priority to centre- based programmes for children from age 3 Si tu pouvais enlever Austria et Greece Dans la légende, Aid to ECCE Austria and Greece are excluded. See main report figure xx 28

Aid for EFA Different donors, different priorities Five donors contribute 72% of all bilateral aid to education Several donors give high priority to education, but not to the basic level 29

EFA: An aid gap remains Required each year to reach EFA Current aid Aid in 2010 if 2005 pledges met Constant 2003 US$ billions Role of the Fast Track Initiative? 30

Resolve and responsibility for the EFA agenda Comprehensive: all the goals matter Urgency: stepping up political commitment Inclusion: reaching vulnerable and disadvantged Financing: higher spending on basic education Early childhood: setting strong foundations 31

EFA Global Monitoring Report Team Contact Information EFA Global Monitoring Report Team c/o UNESCO 7, place de Fontenoy 75352 Paris 07 France efareport@unesco.org www.efareport.unesco.org