1. Early Childhood Education in Pakistan The Quagmire of Policy, Practice and Political Will AmimaSayeed April 4, 2012

2. Policies and Provisions: What’s Been Achieved? • National Curriculum aligned with the developmental domains • Contextualized, consultative and research based • Frameworks for classroom implementation in rural and urban areas for ECE • Specific policies for ECE introduction, budgetary provisions and plans across Pakistan • A fantastic mix of technical and grassroots expertise for Teacher Education, follow-up and support

3. Promised Policy Provisions in Pakistan – 1998-2010 • Recognition and strengthening of Katchi class as part of formal system and opening of Katchi/ECE classes in the public sector primary schools as the main strategy for increased access. • Full-time teachers for katchi class/pre-primary education will be trained and recruited. • Curricula development for ECE and coordinate for development of teaching-learning materials. Instructional material, teaching kit and A.V. Aids for ECE will be developed and provided to ECE centers and schools. • Free provision of Activity-based textbook (Qaaida) and other learning material for pre-primary education

4. From NEP 2009 to RTE (Article 25-A) • Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for ECE is 99% in 2007-08 (despite 7.3 million out of school children) • At least one year pre-primary education shall be provided by the State and universal access to ECE shall be ensured within the next ten years. • Provision of financial and food support to children who drop out because of poverty at ECE • Two year pre-service training to ECE teachers based on NCECE

5. Pre-Primary Enrolments by Gender and Area (2006-07)

6. Reality Bites: On ground Situation of ECE • Curriculum developed in 2007 has yet NOT reached all districts of Pakistan let alone teachers • Finalization and notification of Urdu version of the Curriculum has not happened yet. • ECE is NOT included in the primary cycle with implications on • ECE regularization, New Staff Positions, financial resources, monitoring&quality of learning environment • Lack of accurate data required for planning ECE programmes • No coordination, nodal points, focal persons and budgets!

7. Developmentally Inappropriate Practices: Out of the frying pan, into the fire Out of School Children In –school Children Hazardous physical environment Instruction not interaction or engagement If at all, unaware and ill-equipped teachers Labeling, profiling, bullying – set up for early failure Damning emphasis on writing & discipline! Monolithic systems Kills the innate creative potential and diversity • Trapped if born into illiteracy, disinformation and poverty • No exposure to tools leading to critical thinking • Societal trend of disrespecting child’s views and independence • Economic pressures, forced and hazardous labour • Family disharmony, experience of abuse

8. Ensuring Strong Foundations at Scale • Moving from franchised to contextualized models • need for adapting the curriculum and classroom resources for meeting the diverse needs of 3-8yrs • calculating unit costs on the basis of essential learning conditions and not just infrastructural requirements • Striking a balance between “donor driven activities”, “rapid pace of implementation” and “taking stock of experiences”

9. Improvement of ECE Quality at Scale • Immense need for developing deeper understanding of “how learning takes place” • Subtracting practices that are embedded in behaviorist learning approach • Developing learning webs within and outside school to promote healthy relationships and pro-social attitude • Promoting a culture of reflective practice to avoid mechanistic implementation of ECE curriculum

10. Ensuring Strong Foundations at Scale • Social and public accountability • People to ask the political leaders about the promises before re-election • NGOs, Community Groups even School Committees must push the government to fulfill its commitments • Tracking of funds transfer and per child/per school allocation • Pulling the strings to push for ECE at individual, institutional, taluka, district, provincial, sectoral and national levels • Health, Social Welfare, Women’s Welfare and Education ministries to align their targets and mechanisms • Academicians and researchers challenging the inadequate plans and presenting BETTER options