Privatization of early childhood education (ECE): Implications for social justice in Nepal and Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 700-724
Author(s):  
John Kambutu ◽  
Samara Madrid Akpovo ◽  
Lydiah Nganga ◽  
Sapna Thapa ◽  
Agnes Muthoni Mwangi
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Private Schools ◽  
Low Income ◽  
High Income ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Low Income Families

This ethnographic study examined the (un)intended 1 consequences of increased privatization of Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Nepal and Kenya. Qualitative data showed overreliance on high-stakes standardized tests increased competition for ‘good grades or examination scores’, thus (un)intentionally creating ideal conditions for proliferation of for-profit private schools that predominantly taught culturally decontextualized education at all levels of schooling. Private schools in both countries served high-income families and children, while low-income families and children did not have access to ECE or attended government and not-for-profit programmes. Rather than bridging the gap between low and high-income families, these educational spaces influenced existing social divisions and inequalities. Therefore, this study concluded that private schools in Nepal and Kenya function like businesses, which (un)intentionally promoted educational injustice 2 against children from low-income families. Consequently, authors recommend enactment of new educational policies and practices that promote culturally contextualized curricula in ECE programmes.

scholarly journals The 20 Hours Free Early Childhood Education Programme: A USA Perspective

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda Bushouse
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Low Income Families

This article provides a comparative perspective on early childhood education (ECE) policy in the USA and New Zealand. The contrast between the two countries is significant. In the USA the federal government funds early childhood education only for the poor and disabled. Some individual states have created their own funding programmes, but again, they primarily target children from low-income families. Only a few provide universal access. By way of contrast, the New Zealand 20 Hours Free programme initiated in 2007 provides 20 hours of free ECE for three- and four-year olds regardless of family income. This article discusses the creation of the programme, starting with its genesis in 2005, and considers what are regarded as “wedge” issues, the controversy over the exclusion of private services and parent/whanau-led services, and the ongoing debate over the restriction on “top-up” fees. In the current global economic crisis, it remains to be seen whether the recently-elected National-led government will continue to fully fund the programme or revert to a subsidy strategy.

Starting Early: The Benefits of Attending Early Childhood Education Programs at Age 3

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 1495-1523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arya Ansari ◽  
Robert C. Pianta ◽  
Jessica V. Whittaker ◽  
Virginia E. Vitiello ◽  
Erik A. Ruzek
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Linguistically Diverse ◽  
Early Childhood Programs ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Academic Benefits ◽  
Education Participation ◽  
Low Income Families

This investigation considered the short-term benefits of early childhood education participation at age 3 for 1,213 children from low-income families living in a large and linguistically diverse county. Although no benefits emerged for executive functioning, children who participated in formal early childhood programs at the age of 3 entered prekindergarten the following year demonstrating stronger academic skills and less optimal social behavior than their peers with no earlier educational experience. However, these academic benefits were short-lived and did not persist through the end of prekindergarten, in large part because children who did not attend these programs at age 3 caught up with their classmates who did. Roughly a quarter of this convergence in academics was attributed to children’s subsequent classroom experiences.

scholarly journals How neoliberal globalization is shaping early childhood education policies in India, China, Singapore, Sri Lanka and the Maldives

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amita Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Postcolonial Theory ◽  
High Stakes Testing ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
Neoliberal Globalization ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
The Impact

In rapidly globalizing systems of schooling around the world, economic considerations have led to a push to impose neoliberal reforms in the field of education. Under this influence early childhood education and teacher education in Asia have increasingly become positioned as regulated markets governed by neoliberal policies, leading to peak activities in privatization, consumerism, standardization and high-stakes testing. This article, based on a series of qualitative inquiries, presents a review of recent early childhood policies in India, China, Singapore, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The impact of the policies on pedagogy is discussed within the frameworks of neoliberal globalization and postcolonial theory, emphasizing the growing need to recognize the third space of pedagogical hybridity in classrooms that are becoming increasingly multicultural and global.

Selected aspects of institutional early childhood education and care in Warsaw – the perspective of professionals and low-income parents

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-0
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Karwowska-Struczyk ◽  
Olga Wysłowska
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Final Part ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Low Incomes ◽  
Education And Care ◽  
Group Interviews

The article presents results of research into low income parents as well as professionals involved in the education, care and upbringing sectors. It concerns access to toddler care and preschool, the costs of sending children to such institutions, support for parents on low incomes, as well as the demands parents have of these institutions. The authors carried out two group interviews with parents, as well as three individual interviews with workers from the institutions. In the final part of the article, the results of the research are presented along with recommendations for politics concerning the sectors of education, upbringing and care of children from the ages of 0 to 6.

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