Getting to Know Your International Contacts Pt 3

For this weeks assignment, I chose to explore the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Early Childhood Care and Education site.Under this portion of the website, I read two articles concerning Early Childhood Education around the world. 

The first article was Solutions on Early Childhood Development in the Asia-Pacific Region Discussed. In November of last year a Early Childhood Development conference was held in Singapore.  Those in attendance discussed the importance of early childhood education for children under 3 years of age. According to the press release this is an age group that is often neglected due to the focus placed on pre-school and primary school. A highlight of the conference was the  launch of the “Resource Package for 0-3". The purpose of this package was to equip policy makers, practitioners and parents with a variety of information on Early Childhood Development for children 3 and under.

The second article was The Education of Roma Children Among the Subjects of World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education. In the article UNESCO director Irina Bokova states “Children are our most precious resource, and education is a basic right . The denial of this right leaves everybody much poorer." (UNESCO 2010). At the time of this press release UNESCO and the Council of Europe were finalizing guidelines to present to policy-makers concerning the right to basic education for Roma children.  Improving access to early childhood educational opportunities was a top priority.

The two articles mentioned above have proven to me how important the ECE field is not only in America, but various parts of the world. Just as the ECE community give their all to enlighten policy makers in the U.S. the same urgency is extended all around the world. The effect of Early Care and Education knows no country or continent, its impact is needed and felt all across the globe.

The Education of Roma Children Among the Subjects of World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/education_of_roma_children_among_the_subjects_of_world_conference_on_early_childhood_care_and_education/

Early Childhood Development in the Asia-Pacific Region Discussed http://www.unescobkk.org/news/article/solutions-on-early-childhood-development-in-the-asia-pacific-region-discussed/