Early Childhood Development:
CEE/CIS Study Tour to the UK - II 21-25 April, 2008
UNICEF, the Open Society Foundation-London and the International Step by Step Association (ISSA) in collaboration with the Institute of Education, University of London, organized a study tour for country teams from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan from April 21-25, 2008.
All teams were made up of representatives of the Ministry of Education, ECD/Education/Step by Step NGOs and UNICEF; there was also participation from representatives of the Health, Social Protection and Finance sectors as well as from academics from institutions of higher education (see attached List of Participants). Among other things, the objectives of the study tour were to gain a first hand understanding of the role of rigorous research in shaping early childhood policy and influencing practice.
Country teams were selected on the basis of several predetermined criteria as well as the quality of joint (Government x SbS x UNICEF) proposals they submitted and the commitment they expressed with respect to follow up activities. Each team developed a detailed profile of ECD in their country which among other things listed principal challenges and opportunities; these profiles were shared with the presenters in advance of the study tour.
Through meeting experts, researchers, administrators, and practitioners, country teams had the opportunity to develop an understanding of the UK's comprehensive approach to early childhood development and education, the emphasis on standards, regulations and independent monitoring of quality, and the links between research, policy and practice (see attached Agenda, 46 KB doc file).
In London, presentations were made on:
- The findings of the Effective Provision of Preschool Education Research Project(http://k1.ioe.ac.uk/schools/ecpe/eppe/) by Professors Iram Siraj-Blatchford (London University) and Kathy Sylva (Oxford University)
- The UK government's Early Years Foundation Stage (http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/eyfs/) by Ms. Helen Moylett (Senior Director for the Early Years Foundation Stage)
- ECD and the Fast Track Initiative by Dr. Mary Eming Young (Lead Early Child Development Specialist, Human Development Network, The World Bank)
- Child Health and Development by Prof. Sally McGregor (Principal Author of the Lancet series on Child Development and Professor at University College London; she is also the recipient of the UNICEF Caribbean Child Research Award for excellence in the field of child research)
- Diversity Issues in Early Childhood Practice
by Dalvir Gill (Centre for Research on Early Childhood)
- Children's Services and the role of Local Government, Parents and Communities by David Hawker (Director of Children's Services, Westminster City Council)
- ECD Projects for Rural Areas by Teresa Ogrodzinska, Comenius Foundation, Poland
Participants also had the opportunity to visit the Konstam Children's Centre, the Thomas Coram Centre for Children and Families and the Chelsea Open Air Centre where they met and interacted with administrators, educators and children. Specially prepared observation schedules guided the participants' discussions and observations. In depth debriefings and discussions were held with Ms. Bernadette Duffy, Head Thomas Coram Centre after the field visits.,
Teams made presentations on the situation of young children, existing services, and emerging opportunities and challenges in their respective countries. They had the opportunity to think through and discuss how they would apply their learnings from the study tour back in their countries and to develop outline action plans. The last day of the visit was devoted to planning follow-up activities. The three sponsoring agencies (UNICEF, OSF and ISSA) will be available to provide technical assistance on follow-up activities. ISSA will act as a clearing house for information exchange and dissemination.
All participants received a package of resource materials especially put together for this study tour. Simultaneous translation in Russian and English was provided throughout the tour.
In their written evaluations at the end of the week, participants from all four country teams said they found the study tour a worthwhile learning opportunity and rated it between very good and excellent on all counts.
Participants were especially enthusiastic about the visits to the children’s centres which exposed them to alternative approaches to ECD. As one country team reported, “It was really inspiring to see actual classroom practices and quality of teaching and learning environment.” There was a request for more and longer study tours of this kind.
All the presentations and background papers associated with the study tour, in English and Russian, are to be uploaded to the internet on the ISSA website. As soon as this is done we will be happy to send you information about the URL.
This Study Tour was the second of two - the last one was held in November
2007 for country teams from Albania, Armenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Moldova. It proved yet again that ECD partners can work closely and harmoniously to reach the goals for young children in the CEE/CIS region.
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