WEEK 7-UNESCO

The United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) was founded on 16 November 1945.UNESCO works to create the conditions for dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples, based upon respect for commonly shared values. It is through this dialogue that the world can achieve global visions of sustainable development encompassing observance of human rights, mutual respect and the alleviation of poverty, all of which are at the heart of UNESCO’s  mission and activities.

The broad goals and concrete objectives of the international community – as set out in the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – underpin all UNESCO’s strategies and activities. Thus UNESCO’s unique competencies in education, the sciences, culture and communication and information contribute towards the realization of those goals. UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information. The Organization focuses, in particular, on two global priorities:

While  exploring and reviewing through their websites ,several issues ,news and publication  addressed my goals of contributing effectively through acquiring  the required  knowledge and skill   as a professional in the early childhood  field ,and since we are looking  into issues related to the  workforce  as regards  conceptualization, quality and defining it  in relation  to the early  childhood  Workforce, so I decided to narrow it down  to issues about  education, teachers, and Quality  in the  early  childhood  field

EDUCATION FIRST

“This is the first time that a United Nations Secretary-General has made education a priority. It is an historic decision that recognizes the power of education to transform lives and build more sustainable, peaceful and prosperous societies. I am proud that the Secretary-General turned to UNESCO to play a lead role in shaping this Initiative and taking it forward.” Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General

Launched on 26 September 2012, Education First is a five-year initiative sponsored by Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations. A global advocacy platform at the highest level, it aims to generate a renewed push to achieve the internationally-agreed education goals set for 2015 and get the world back on track to meeting its education commitments.

In the Secretary-General’s own words, “when we put Education First, we can reduce poverty and hunger, end wasted potential – and look forward to stronger and better societies for all.”

The three priorities of Education First are:

·         putting every child into school

·         improving the quality of learning

·          fostering global citizenship

The personal commitment and convening power of the UN Secretary-General sends the message that education is not simply a moral imperative; it is the single best investment nations can make to build prosperous, healthy and equitable societies.  By rallying together a broad spectrum of actors, including governments, donor nations, the business community, philanthropic organizations and the media, the Initiative will put education at the heart of the social, political and development agenda, so together, we can reach the goals we have set for ourselves. (UNESCO, 2012)

Early Childhood Care and Education

UNESCO advocates for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programmes that attend to health, nutrition, security and learning and which provide for children’s holistic development. It organized the first World Conference on ECCE in September 2010, which culminated in the adoption of a global action agenda for ECCE called Moscow Framework for Action and Cooperation: Harnessing the Wealth of Nations. As a follow-up to the World Conference, UNESCO works in partnership with Member States, partners and other stakeholders to encourage timely and effective implementation of the Moscow Framework so that all young children develop their potential to the fullest.

The foundations of human development are laid during the child's early years and thus early childhood requires an integrated approach to the child's care, development and learning. Early childhood care and education (ECCE) is more than a preparatory stage assisting the child’s transition to formal schooling. Today, early childhood policies are placed within a broader context of social development, gender equity and poverty reduction. (UNESCO, 2012)

UNESCO leads the international policy drive for an integrated early childhood care and education system that encompasses both the well-being and holistic development of the child.  Its mission is to support early childhood policy development with the aim to build a solid foundation for a child’s lifelong learning. UNESCO’s activities in early childhood focus on upstream policy work through collaboration with government officials to review and develop their national policies affecting children from the age of 0 to 8. As this age bracket covers a diverse group of children in various developmental stages, it is naturally difficult for countries to address all children within this group simultaneously and equally. Prioritization is necessary. In this regard, UNESCO’s early childhood programmes focus on holistic pre-primary education for children over the age of 3, for which emphasis is placed on its linkages with primary education. It is important to note that pre-primary education must promote the child’s holistic development and should not be implemented like early primary education. (UNESCO, 2012)

UNESCO also promotes two useful planning strategies to address the early childhood needs for those under three years of age—phasing and partnership. A phased plan can impel the education sector to eventually respond to the needs of younger children as part of its overall commitment to early childhood. Partnership is another effective strategy. For instance, the social and health sectors are often more closely linked with families. If a partnership is developed with them, the care and education of younger children can be addressed together with those of older children. (UNESCO ,2012).For the early childhood field, UNESCO aims at access and equity, quality for the entire structure and organization, investment and financing and coordination and integration

UNESCO is launching its teacher strategy for 2012-2015 to introduce its priorities, action lines and role in relation to teachers. The strategy aims to provide a framework for the whole range of activities that UNESCO will develop from 2012 to 2015.

The main emphasis of the strategy is on supporting teachers for quality learning. Capitalizing on the previous experiences and on the applications of the TTISSA (Teacher Training Initiative for Sub-Saharan Africa) methodology and other UNESCO teacher-related programmes, UNESCO identified three priorities to drive the strategy:

·         Teacher shortage: Bridge the teacher gap in priority countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa;

·         Teacher Quality: Improve teaching quality; and

·         Research, knowledge production and Communication: Inform the global debate about teaching with comparative evidence.

Ultimately the strategy intends to configure a teaching force that works in an environment that rewards professional improvement and that is committed to improve the opportunities for student learning with well qualified and duly supported teaching practices. The Strategy provides an overall framework for a new initiative on teachers, aimed at accelerating progress towards EFA goals. The new initiative is (provisionally) called “Quality Teachers for EFA. The UNESCO Initiative for Teachers’ Capacity Development in Priority Countries” and will soon be released as an additional document.

The launch of the teacher’s strategy is part of the 2012 World Teachers’ Day celebration. “Take a stand for teachers” is the slogan of World Teachers’ Day this year which UNESCO is celebrating along with the International Labour Organization, UNDP, UNICEF and Education International.(UNESCO ,2012)

                                                              References
                                                           http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/