Influencing ECE Policy Around the World: Four Country Case Studies of Civil Society Engagement to Promote Early Childhood Education

Group Submission Type: Panel Session

Proposal

In 2016, the Lancet series reported that in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, children were not fully developing their physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional potential partly due to a lack of adequate cognitive stimulation. In 2017, for the first time ever, the World Bank’s World Development Report (WDR18) focused on education, citing children’s lack of preparedness upon school entry as a key cause of the global “learning crisis.” Around the world, educators are striving to implement effective interventions for the youngest children with urgency. But, how can we convince national and international leaders to embrace the empirical evidence and enact policies that advance Early Childhood Education (ECE) Clearly, approaches to advocacy must be adapted to meet specific contexts, but what evidence, tools, and strategies can we identify and share across borders to advance our common goals?

This panel will discuss lessons learned in four diverse socio-political contexts, honoring the South-North dialogue theme of the conference. Representatives from RTI, Catholic Relief Services, Save the Children, and the Basic Education Coalition will present evidence and strategies that are working to advance progressive ECE agendas in Jordan, Malawi, Mexico, and U.S. Foreign Policy, respectively. Knowledge exchange will focus on how the Global South has successfully prioritized ECE in education policy, and dialogue about opportunities for mutual support across geographical boundaries.

Sub Unit

• SIG: Early Childhood Development

Chair

• Amlata Persaud, Teachers College, Columbia University

Individual Presentations

• How civil society organizations influence ECE policy: Experiences with U.S. foreign policy - Bethany Johnson, Basic Education Coalition

• How civil society organizations influence ECE policy: Experiences from Catholic Relief Services Malawi - Fidelis Chasukwa Mgowa, Catholic Relief Services Malawi

• How civil societies influence ECE policies: Experiences with data-driven decision making in Jordan - Manar Shukri, RTI International; Katherine Anne Merseth, RTI International

• How civil society organizations influence ECE policy: Experiences promoting comprehensive public policy for equitable ECD/E in Mexico - Maria Josefina Menéndez, Save the Children

Discussant

• Katherine Thomas, Mott MacDonald, Inc.