The recent introduction of the Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS) creation process in Tajikistan is just the latest episode in a long and fruitful cooperation between UNICEF and ISSA members.
In March Step by Step Tajikistan joined experts from UNICEF in a five-day workshop focusing on the development and implementation of Early Learning Development Standards (ELDS) in Tajikistan. UNICEF consultant Sharon Lynn Kagan (USA) led the workshop supported by Marine Mkrtchyan (Step by Step Benevolent Foundation, Armenia) and Maia Kherkheulidze (UNICEF-Georgia), as well as Nazarkhudo Dastambuev (Step by Step-Tajikistan) and representatives of UNICEF-Tajikistan.
The main goal of the workshop was to introduce the ELDS concept and to layout a framework for the development and implementation of ELDS in Tajikistan by the end of 2008. In this, the workshop and meetings which took place during the week were highly successful. The workshop was attended by a diverse cross-section of Tajikistan's early education sector, including high level representatives of the ministries of education, health, and labour and social protection, representatives of pedagogical universities and teacher training institutions, heads of kindergartens, and representatives of local education NGOs. The trainers were impressed by the participants' strong interest in learning about and implementing ELDS, as well as their commitment to creating and implementing ELDS in Tajikistan.
Early Learning Development Standards aim to help countries improve services to young children and their families by defining certain expectations for knowledge and abilities that children should have before they enter primary school. With the completion of this successful workshop, the path has been laid for UNICEF to work with the Ministry and a working group in the creation of early learning standards which reflect Tajik culture and values. Building on the momentum and interest resulting from the workshop, SbS-Tajikistan will be very actively involved in the UNICEF-led working group.
This cooperation has already been quite successful in other countries. The Step by Step Benevolent Foundation of Armenia began working with UNICEF and the Armenian Ministry of Education on the process of ELDS development for children ages 5-6 in 2005. Since then, they have validated the content of the standards, and they are now working to integrate ELDS into the everyday practice of early childhood teachers. In the coming year, they hope to continue their project with UNICEF to develop ELDS for ages 3-4. After the Tajikistan workshop, the SbS and UNICEF teams of Georgia and Armenia participated in a joint workshop in Tbilisi, where they shared their national experiences in ELDS and focused on developing implementation plans for their respective countries.