Ei-iE

Early childhood education

Campaigns

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. Standards and working conditions 25 April 2025

    Starting strong: Education unions mobilise for the right to early childhood education

    Despite its essential role, early childhood education (ECE) is undermined by chronic underfunding. Recognition of the importance of early childhood education, as well as the salaries, job satisfaction, working conditions, and status of ECE workers remain low. Meanwhile, private actors are working to take over the sector, filling the funding...

    Read more Starting strong: Education unions mobilise for the right to early childhood education
  2. Leading the profession 21 February 2025

    Palestine: International solidarity strengthens early childhood educators’ professional skills and their union

    With the purpose of enhancing the professional skills of early childhood educators in Palestine, the General Union of Workers in Kindergarten and Private Schools (GUWKPS) organized a series of four union-sponsored, half-day workshops focused on “trauma-informed education.” This training for Palestinian kindergarten teachers, focused on providing them with tools to...

    Read more Palestine: International solidarity strengthens early childhood educators’ professional skills and their union
  3. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 20 November 2024

    Organizing for a new treaty on free public education

    Bede Sheppard

    World Children’s Day is celebrated annually on 20 November. The date is auspicious for children’s rights as it coincides with the date on which the United Nations adopted both the Declaration on the Rights of the Child in 1959 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989.

    Read more Organizing for a new treaty on free public education
  4. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 29 October 2024

    Unions resist the finance sector’s takeover of early childhood education and care

    If you are looking for detailed statistics, research, and quotes from around the world to illustrate the impact of increased privatisation and private equity penetration on the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector, and solutions for unions and allies, you will find some answers in recently launched “The Privatisation...

    Read more Unions resist the finance sector’s takeover of early childhood education and care
  5. Standards and working conditions 24 October 2024

    Challenges and opportunities in early childhood education in Africa: A network for change

    At the first meeting of the Education International (EI) Early Childhood Education (ECE) Network, participants delved into the significant challenges facing early childhood education in Africa, with a particular focus on Ghana. The discussions highlighted issues of access and equality, the lack of robust ECE systems, curriculum and pedagogy challenges,...

    Read more Challenges and opportunities in early childhood education in Africa: A network for change
more: Our work on early childhood education

Our policy on early childhood education