UNESCO's "Early Childhood Care and Education" webpage

UNESCO believes the foundations of human development are laid in early childhood requiring an integrated approach to every child’s care, development and learning. (UNESCO) “UNESCO leads the international policy drive for an integrated early childhood care and education system that encompasses both the well-being and holistic development of the child. Their mission is to support early childhood policy development with the aim to build a solid foundation for a child’s lifelong learning” (UNESCO).

One of UNESCO’s main responsibilities is to advocate for the right of every child and young adult to quality education throughout life- regardless of the setting. (UNESCO) “Education is a basic human right and is essential for the exercise of all other rights. Yet there are still 774 million illiterate in the world and 58 million children are still out of primary school, and many more young and adult women and men are not learning what they need to know to lead healthy fulfilling lives” (UNESCO). Many factors including poverty, gender inequity, geographic isolation and minority status continue to make quality education a distant dream. (UNESCO)

            UNESCO coordinates an international movement in support of Education for All (EFA) and organized the first World Conference on ECCE in September 2010, which led to the “adoption of a global action for ECCE called Moscow Framework for Action and Cooperation: Harnessing the Wealth of Nations” (UNESCO). Working together in partnerships with Member States and other stakeholders, UNESCO encourages timely and effective implementation of the Moscow Framework so that all children are able to develop their full potential. (UNESCO)

In a recent article titled “Key milestones reached for new education goals”, UNESCO reports on the progress being made to finalize the Muscat Agreement draft, adopted by over 250 delegates at the Global Meeting on Education for All (GEM 2014) held in Muscat, Oman. The Muscat Agreement outlines the overall goals and a set of seven global targets for education post-2015. (UNESCO)

“The Muscat Agreement is based on the notion that education must claim an explicit, stand-alone goal in the new development framework after 2015, as well being a cross-cutting theme across the broader development agenda” (UNESCO). Advocates of the agreement represent over 300 organizations from around the world and pledge to continue mobilizing and increasing support for education both in and outside of the education community. (UNESCO)

It sounds like the field of early childhood is being redefined all over the world. I agree that an integrated approach (bringing the many facets of early childhood together) to form a new development framework will help our field. It’s exciting to see all of these organizations working together for the wellbeing of ALL children!

References

UNESCO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education” webpage, Retrieved from:

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-   education-systems/early-childhood/