Toward an Equal Start

World Bank

Toward an Equal Start

Autores

World Bank

Editor

World Bank, Washington, DC

Descripción

Early childhood development programs are particularly beneficial to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Effective investments in this area have the potential to reduce inequalities perpetuated by poverty, poor nutrition, and restricted learning opportunities. This report explores the gaps in early education and care experienced by Roma children between the ages of 3 and 6 in Eastern Europe, and looks at measures to close those gaps. Many Roma children lack a strong early learning and care support mechanism at home. The vast majority of Roma children grow up in poverty and many regularly go hungry. Their parents have minimal levels of education. This creates multiple disadvantages from malnutrition to limited early learning stimulation. The report points to four main policy measures to increase pre-school enrollment and improve early learning at home: (1) better inform parents on the benefits of preschool for children's later life outcomes; (2) promote inclusive pre-schools by reaching out to parents and by involving them more directly in pre-school with the help of Roma teaching assistants; (3) remove cost barriers possibly coupled with regular attendance subsidies. In addition: (4) support parenting at home. These conclusions follow from the finding that the vast majority of Roma parents wish their children to complete secondary education, but that many also stated a desire to raise children at home in their early years when asked why they did not enroll their children in preschool. The report also calls for systematic piloting with variations of different programs, and implementing randomized impact evaluations. Findings from impact evaluations can build public support for scale-up of proven programs. Finally, the report points out that ensuring that poor Roma and non-Roma children alike receive an equal start in life by investing in early childhood development is essential to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty and is also smart economics.
European Commission

Palabras clave

ACADEMIC COMMUNITY, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, ACADEMIC YEAR, ACCESS TO BOOKS, ACQUISITION OF SKILLS, ADOLESCENCE, ADULTS, AGE GROUPS, AGING, ATTENTION, BIRTH CERTIFICATE, BRAIN DEVELOPMENT, CAREGIVERS, CHILD CARE, CHILD DEVELOPMENT, CHILD PROTECTION, CHILDREN IN PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES, CLASSROOM, COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT, COGNITIVE OUTCOMES, COGNITIVE SKILLS, COGNITIVE STIMULATION, COMPETENCIES, COMPULSORY EDUCATION, COUNSELING, CURRICULA, DIRECT TEACHING, DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN, EARLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT, EARLY CHILDHOOD, EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTIONS, EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS, EARLY EDUCATION, EARLY INTERVENTION, EARLY INTERVENTIONS, EARLY LEARNING, EARLY SUCCESS, ECD, ECD PROGRAMS, EDUCATION INITIATIVES, EDUCATION INVESTMENTS, EDUCATION LAW, EDUCATION OUTCOMES, EDUCATION POLICY, EDUCATION PROGRAMS, EDUCATION SERVICES, EDUCATION SYSTEM, EDUCATION SYSTEMS, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, EDUCATIONAL INCLUSION, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES, EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, EMOTIONAL SKILLS, ENROLLMENT RATES, ENROLMENT RATE, ENROLMENT RATES, EQUAL TREATMENT, EQUITY IN EDUCATION, ETHNIC COMPOSITION, ETHNIC MINORITY, ETHNIC MINORITY CHILDREN, EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, GENDER, GENDER EQUALITY, GIRLS, GRADE REPETITION, GRADE RETENTION, HIGH SCHOOL, HIGHER ENROLLMENT, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, INCLUSIVE EDUCATION, INDIVIDUAL LEARNING, INDIVIDUAL NEEDS, INFANCY, INSTRUCTION, INTERVENTIONS, JOB TRAINING, KINDERGARTEN, KINDERGARTENS, LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION, LEARNING DIFFICULTIES, LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, LEARNING NEEDS, LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, LEARNING OUTCOMES, LEARNING PROCESS, LEVELS OF EDUCATION, LINGUISTIC DIFFERENCES, LITERACY, MALNUTRITION, MENTAL DISABILITIES, MENTAL HEALTH, MILD LEARNING DISABILITIES, MINORITY GROUPS, MOTHER TONGUE, MOTHER-TONGUE, MOTHER-TONGUE EDUCATION, NATIONAL CURRICULUM, NATIONAL EDUCATION, NATIONAL LANGUAGE, NET ENROLMENT, NET ENROLMENT RATES, NUMERACY, NUTRITION, NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTIONS, OLDER CHILDREN, OLDER GIRLS, PARENT INVOLVEMENT, PARENTAL INPUTS, PARENTAL SATISFACTION, PARENTING, PEDAGOGICAL METHODS, PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT, PICTURE BOOKS, PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM, PRESCHOOL EDUCATION, PRESCHOOL ENROLLMENT, PRESCHOOL LEVEL, PRESCHOOLS, PRIMARY CAREGIVERS, PRIMARY EDUCATION, PRIMARY GRADES, PRIMARY SCHOOL, PRIMARY SCHOOL BUILDINGS, PRIMARY SCHOOL ENROLMENT, PRIMARY SCHOOL SYSTEM, PRIMARY SCHOOLS, QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTIONS, QUALITY PRESCHOOL, QUALITY STANDARDS, READING, READING BOOKS, READING MATERIALS, RECALL, RECOGNITION, REGULAR ATTENDANCE, ROTE LEARNING, RURAL AREAS, SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, SCHOOL BOARDS, SCHOOL ENTRY, SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT, SCHOOL GRADUATES, SCHOOL HEAD, SCHOOL LEVEL, SCHOOL PARTICIPATION, SCHOOL PERFORMANCE, SCHOOL POLICIES, SCHOOL QUALITY, SCHOOL SCHOOLS, SCHOOL SYSTEM, SCHOOL TUITION, SCHOOL YEAR, SCHOOLING, SECONDARY EDUCATION, SECONDARY SCHOOL, SELF CONFIDENCE, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL SKILLS, SPECIAL EDUCATION, SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS, SPECIAL NEEDS, SPECIAL SCHOOL SYSTEM, SPECIAL SCHOOLS, TEACHER, TEACHER TRAINING, TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTIONS, TEACHING, TEACHING ASSISTANTS, THINKING, TRAINING PROGRAMS, TUITION, UNEMPLOYMENT, VIOLENCE, VULNERABLE CHILDREN, VULNERABLE GROUPS, WORK EXPERIENCE, YOUNG ADULTS, YOUNG CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE, YOUTH