Ei-iE

Early childhood education

Spotlight

All children have the right to education as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Early childhood education is an integral part of this right.

Early childhood education takes place before compulsory education, whether it is a part of the education system or independent from it. This includes childcare centres, nurseries, pre-school education, kindergartens and other similar institutions. It goes beyond what some refer to as pre-school education – it is education in its own right with the purpose of preparing children for school but also for life, in the same way that other parts of the education system contribute to this process.

We believe that early childhood education is an essential part of life-long learning. It is of great value to all children and should be available to everyone.

We promote early childhood education that is publicly funded and universally accessible. We advocate for the integration of early childhood education into education systems under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, seeking continuous professional development for teachers and other professionals.

Our work on early childhood education

  1. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 12 December 2023

    Decent work for early childhood personnel: 10 years since the adoption of the ILO Policy Guidelines and the way forward

    On November 30, Education International hosted an online event to assess the progress made in implementing the International Labour Organization Policy Guidelines on decent work for early childhood education personnel 10 years after their adoption and reflect on new developments in the sector. The discussion was informed by the special...

    Read more Decent work for early childhood personnel: 10 years since the adoption of the ILO Policy Guidelines and the way forward
  2. Standards and working conditions 30 November 2023

    Early childhood educators: New data on the challenges they face raises the alarm about an education sector at risk

    Isidora Vitorović

    Research by Education International reveals that early childhood education (ECE) personnel have been among the education workers whose employment conditions were most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Preliminary findings of an ongoing research also identify this chronically underfunded sector as one of the most threatened by the global teacher shortage.

    Read more Early childhood educators: New data on the challenges they face raises the alarm about an education sector at risk
  3. Equity and inclusion 29 November 2023

    Invest in the future: Fund early childhood education

    Ezurike Chidubem Precious

    Based on my experience as a teacher in the sector, I can testify to the transformative power of quality early childhood education (ECE) for children. ECE goes beyond learning letters of the alphabet or numbers. Playing games and enjoying nature outdoors are equally important for children, nurturing creativity and building...

    Read more Invest in the future: Fund early childhood education
  4. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 21 November 2023

    Decent work for early childhood education personnel: Where are we ten years after the adoption of the ILO Policy Guidelines?

    On November 30, Education International will host an online event to assess the progress made in implementing the ILO Policy Guidelines on decent work for early childhood education personnel and reflect on new developments in the sector. The discussion will be informed by the special edition of the I-BEST survey...

    Read more Decent work for early childhood education personnel: Where are we ten years after the adoption of the ILO Policy Guidelines?
  5. Equity and inclusion 26 October 2023

    Gender, education, and a global view on the ‘crisis of care’

    Saba Joshi

    The global pandemic that swept across the world just a few years ago was a grim reminder of the fragility of human lives. Widespread illness and death, economic disruption, mobility restrictions, and lockdowns precipitated by the unabated spread of Covid-19 was shocking, almost unbelievable for many of us.

    Read more Gender, education, and a global view on the ‘crisis of care’
more: Our work on early childhood education

Our policy on early childhood education