REVIEW OF THE 2007 EDUCATION SECTOR EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT POLICY

AND OPERATIONAL STANDARDS

Project Milestone 2 Report

Report on the existing ECE models and implementation status of the ECD policy provisions

Submitted to the Ministry of Education and Sports

By Cambridge Education

August

2017

List of Acronyms

CAO Chief Administrative Officer (head of a district)

CCCP Community Childcare Programme

CCT Centre Coordinating Tutor

CE Cambridge Education (the implementing agency)

CMC Centre Management Committee

CSO Civil Society Organisation

DEO District Education Officer

DES Department for Education Standards

DHS Demographic and Health Survey

DIS/SI District Inspector of Schools

ECCE Early Childhood Care and Education

ECD Early Childhood Development

ECE Early Childhood Education

FBO

Faith-based Organisation

FP ECD Focal Point

GPE Global Partnership for Education

LABE Literacy and Basic Education (a NGO working with home-based centre groups)

MoES Ministry of Education and Sports

MoGLSD Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development

NDP National Development Plan

NGO

NIECD

QF & AS

Non-government organisation

National Integrated Early Childhood Education Policy

Qualifications Framework and Accreditation System

RTI Research Triangle Institute

SDG Sustainable Development Goal

ToR

UNESCO

Terms of Reference

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund

UPE Universal Primary Education

Nomenclature

Throughout this Report, Cambridge Education uses both the term Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). ECD is prominent in reference either to international and regional practice (where services are often integrated across sectors) and also in reference to the current context in Uganda where ‘ECD Centres’ have been set up in response to the 2007 Policy. ECCE is referenced both in line with the proposed scope of the revised policy (i.e. defining the future scope of Ministry of Education and Sports interventions), as well as to focus the attention on early learning, early years stimulation and education, and educational elements of packages for pregnant mothers, future mothers, parents and communities.

The decision to use the acronym ‘ECCE’ was determined both by the use of this term in the Project ToR, and also as a result of the inception phase discussions, where the MoES and other partners clarified that the policy must address the needs of children from conception to the age of 8. As a result of this determination, a broader focus on care and education is more appropriate than a restricted focus on education alone (i.e. encompassing ECCE, not just ECE). While the policy recommendations will aim to be complementary to the role of other government ministries and to align with the National Integrated ECD Policy, it is not the intention of this process to provide policy and standards in relation to early childhood health, social development, etc. These are clearly the responsibilities of the other relevant line Ministries.