Towards a National Policy for the Integrated Development of Early Childhood

Haiti - Education : Towards a National Policy for the Integrated Development of Early Childhood

Three months after the National Assizes of Early Childhood, which helped lead to the validation of the guidance document for this sub-sector, the Office of Management of Pre-school Education (BUGEP) of the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP) work for the next steps consisting among other of a national awareness campaign around the National Policy Framework for the integrated development of early childhood in Haiti.

Mrs. Yolaine Vandal, Director of BUGEP explains that this is the age range of 0-5 years while noting that for other CARICOM countries, the age range retained varies from 0 to 8 years. Making a brief overview of the record of the Early Childhood, Mrs. Vandal says noted a clear determination of the Haitian state to take control of this sector, to ensure its governance and to define the guidelines for agents who want to work there.

For Mrs. Yolaine Vandal the management of children aged 0 to 5 years, concerns not only the education sector. It is a holistic approach that advocates MENFP. All other sectors should contribute, hence the implementation of a multi-sectoral committee, including health, education, justice, gender and the environment. Childhood, she believes, should be considered in the context of the global challenges of the education system in Haiti.

Citing statistics for better establish the sector’s problems, Mrs. Vandal stresses that before the earthquake, preschool hosted 20.7% of all children under 5 years for a total estimated 559.439 children aged 1 to 7 years during the 2007-2008 school year. Citing Mérisier, she informed having identified a number of 1,427 preschool institutions in Haiti half of them are located in the West where is only 37% of the country’s population.

According to data provided through the Directorate of Planning and External Cooperation (2008) of MENFP, there are currently 9.912 primary schools working with a preschool service, including 57.65% of them are non-public sector. There is therefore a serious capacity at this level to be handled by state authorities.

Addressing the issue of national policy framework document for the integrated development of early childhood, the official indicated that this tool provides an analysis of the situation and the conceptual framework referred to in Articles 19, 22, 32-1, 32 – 5 and 261 of the Constitution of 1987, ruling on the question. “There is everything in relation to actions taken by other sectors in health, nutrition, social affairs and sanitation,” did she know, before stressing that this policy framework is intended to be a national response to the priorities of the country for the survival of the child, its harmonious and balanced development. Transition periods of the family at the preschool and fundamental, the legal protection of the child and all types of interventions it will be necessary to undertake in order to have a child with an identity are also part of the document.

According to Mrs. Vandal, the framework of the national policy on early childhood has three main objectives. It intends in particular promoting the full and balanced development of all young children in Haiti, by focusing on the period of pregnancy and birth to age 3 years through coordinated services and multi-sectoral prenatal, neonatal and post-natal of education and parental support. But also health services nutrition, protection and sanitation.

Regarding the strategic axes directly related to the objectives, Mrs. Vandal stated that the outline of the national development policy integrated of Early Childhood will provide the basis for the development and implementation of strategies adapted to the objectives selected.

According to Mrs. Yolaine Vandal, the Early Childhood is a common cause. If the state does not have sufficient means to have a 3 year old preschool like those in the private sector, which have the control of over nearly 94%, however, it may make it compulsory two years of preschool. To implement this initiative, the State requires the construction of a new room to accommodate additional children of 4 years.

To believe the responsible of BUGEP, the experiences of early childhood have a permanent impact on life. They determine the personality and abilities of the individual in development, its relationship to the the present and future world and its mode of insertion into the city. This implies that support of the Early Childhood deserves special attention and must be expressed in a vision clear and planned, she added.

According to Mrs. Vandal, the national policy framework on early childhood is an acquired, It remains, she says, to act on curricula and take into account the children, parents and the training of educators to have a quality preschool.

HL/ HaitiLibre

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