International Contacts

        I did finally hear back from the school in Dangriga, Belize, however it was to say they had received my message and would be happy to communicate with me.  I quickly shot off an email with some questions that might start an interesting dialogue but have yet to hear back.

       Because I did not have much to report on my personal contact I visited the UNESCO website.  I decided to focus on what I would identify as their advocacy initiatives, Access and Equity, Quality, Investment and Financing, and Coordination and Integration.  As I read I found several ideas related to my professional goals and my future as an advocate.  I especially appreciated the identification of a separate category for Coordination.  

Coordination issues include coherent regulation, funding and staffing schemes and a common vision of care and education. Effective coordination must exist among sectors at both national and local level, and also between public and private establishments.

       As a past director of a corporate sponsored child care center I found the following statement to make sense.  I do believe and will advocate for a national early childhood system with an infrastructure that includes consistent funding streams, but with a multitiered delivery system that includes the private sector.  Strong early childhood programs are a major factor in the lives of employees of all businesses.  I believe businesses should be looked upon to help build the system.

In general, government funding for early childhood is extremely small. For this reason approaching the private sector (non-profit and for-profit) can be an effective strategy.

      One of my goals relates to completing my Master's degree.  I want to have more understanding and be able to articulate more clearly what I know from my years of experience.  The combination of education and experience along with some passion is what makes a great ECE professional.

The ECCE workforce is often made up of a diverse group of pre-school teachers, care workers, informal carers and other professionals. Adequate training and work conditions are essential so they can integrate the content and practice of early childhood care and education and address the transition to formal schooling.

      The following is the introduction of an attached article to the Quality page on the UNESCO website.  It is a great example of a government working so all children can have access to high quality early learning environments.  You might want to take a look at the entire document.

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001374/137413e.pdf

Inter-Ministerial Collaboration in Early Childhood Training in Singapore

Introduction
In Singapore, childcare centres and preschools come under the auspices of the Ministry of Community Development and Sports (MCDS) and the Ministry of Education (MOE), respectively. The two ministries developed separate and independent policies and administrative systems over the years. In 1999, they initiated inter-ministerial collaboration, including teacher training.
This brief discusses Singapore’s development of childcare services and preschool education, the factors that led to the inter-ministerial collaboration, the role of the Preschool Qualification Accreditation Committee (PQAC), the challenges faced and the outcomes of the collaboration. 

UNSCO Website. (2013) Retrieved from: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/