Assessment of the Existing ECD practices to Sketch an Alternative Approach

• In Event: Addressing inequality in ECD

Proposal

Abstract


The government of Ethiopia has already employed different modalities to access early childhood learning: Formal kindergarten, “O – Class”, Child to Child and Accelerated School Readiness approaches for the last decades. Consequently, the pre- primary gross enrollment rate (GER) could progress from 5% to 36.7%. However, the existing employed modalities have been already saturated to access more vulnerable pre - primary age children than this 36.7%. According to 2021 MoE annual statistics abstract, close to 6 million (63.3%) pre- primary school age children are not lucky still in accessing early childhood education service. They might not join primary or join with no readiness to primary. The most victims are rural and slum areas’ children of Ethiopia.
Ethiopia is big country with much diversified combinations and with widely diverse contexts and features (Cultural, economic, religious, geographical, social, rural, urban, pastoralist, agrarian etc.). The difference even deeper among villages of the same community. This assessment study, therefore, is to understand the ECE context/practices in the community of three regions( Amhara, SNNPR/South Naton Nationalities People Region/ and Oromia) in Ethiopia and pave the way to sketch an adaptable and flexible ECD framework to fit to the diverse contexts. There were three main data collection methods. The first was, a document review, where policy documents, education statistics, annual abstracts and reports were assessed. The second, Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and Key Informant Interview (KII) conducted at ECD Centers and within the community to obtain in-depth information regarding the opportunities and challenges of access to quality ECD. The third, overall observation carried out to gather information on learning environment. FGD and KII checklist developed to solicit in-depth information on the existing efforts, challenges, gaps, parents and community attitude on ECD program.
Accordingly, promoting very flexible to the context, low-cost, community managed and owned ECD approach where the local community can shoulder it is highly recommended to address those huge number of vulnerable pre- school age children of the country. As a result, highly flexible/adaptable early childhood satellite ECD framework designed to inculcate the federal ministry of education and its extended regional education bureaus to include in their formal education structure and system of the country.
The frame work is being piloted in two districts. Jabi Tehnan district 306 satellite ECDE centers were established benefiting 7245 children. The participation among children aged 4-6 uplifted from 15% to 78% at district level – specific to two villages in the district ( Wojet and mankusa ), surprisingly the coverage become 100%. Moreover, in Habro district 20 satellite ECDE centers establishment resulted in benefiting 2318 children. The coverage increased from 16% in 2021 to 56% in 2023.

Author

• Samuel Tadesse Feleke, World Vision Ethiopia