Volume 11, Number 1
The World Declaration on Education for All (EFA) acknowledges that “learning begins at birth.” (World Conference on Education for All, 1990). The right to a primary education, ensured by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, is a cornerstone in the development of each individual. In this framework, the expression “early childhood care and education” (ECCE) encompasses the complementarity between all elements required to make sure that young children take full advantage of a promising start: “health, nutrition and hygiene, and cognitive, social, physical and emotional development – from birth to entry into primary school” (UNESCO, 2006, p. 3). All those elements are interlinked in the early years of a child. However, when it comes to the development of public policies for the provision of basic services, such interdependence comes as a challenge: the coordination of different government and non-government sectors demands institutional capacity and availability of resources, which many countries often lack.
According to the Dakar Framework for Action, the first EFA goal is to expand and improve early childhood care and education. However, almost eight years since all countries committed to such goal, ECCE is still dismal in many parts of the world. According to the 2007 EFA Global Monitoring Report only half of all countries have a formal system of early childhood education for children under the age of 3. Additionally, in many countries where formal education does exist, professionals lack the knowledge and training to provide kids with a quality learning experience. In the words of that same report, “ECCE staff in developing countries typically have minimal education and pre-service training, and are often relatively poorly remunerated” (p. 4).
Amidst this scenario, it should be acknowledged that various countries have faced the challenge with considerable political commitment and creativity. The state-of-the-art of ECCE policies in various countries and the challenges that still remain to be faced are at the core of this edition of Current Issues in Comparative Education. CICE welcomes submissions addressing early childhood care and education from a comparative and international perspective, particularly with respect to the following sub-topics: teacher/teaching quality; standards and accountability; early childhood policy; serving vulnerable children; increasing service access and quality.
CICE is an international, online, open-access journal that seeks clear and significant contributions, which further discussion on educational policies and comparative studies. We publish articles from academics, policy-makers, and other education specialists from governmental and non-governmental organizations and institutions. Authors are invited to submit single-spaced, 5-8 page documents (2,500-4,000 words) in APA format as email attachments to submissions@cicejournal.org More information regarding our publication requirements may be found on our website http://www.tc.edu/cice/main/guidelines.html
The deadline for submissions is September 15, 2008.
UNESCO. (2006). EFA Global Monitoring Report. Strong foundations: Early childhood care and education. Paris: UNESCO.
World Conference on Education for All. (1990). World Declaration on Education for All. Retrieved April 12, 2008, from http://www.unesco.org/education/efa/ed_for_all/background/jomtien_declaration.shtml
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