O.3 Early Childhood Education in Contexts of Fragility, Conflict, and Violence

18 | Quality Early Learning

BOX O.3

Early Childhood Education in Contexts of Fragility, Conflict, and Violence

By the end of 2018, 415 million children worldwide were living in conflict-affected areas, with 149 million living in high-conflict areas. Some 31 million, or 50 percent, of the world’s forcibly displaced were children. It is estimated that half of the world’s poor and two-thirds of the extreme poor will live in situations of fragility, conflict, or violence (FCV) by 2030. In these environments, child development is more likely to be impeded by toxic stress and service disruption. This is compounded by the fact that access to education is already severely compromised in FCV contexts, and early learning is in particular— fewer than 10 percent of children in FCV contexts receive some kind of early childhood education (ECE).

For children living in these contexts, quality ECE can be a protective factor, offering opportunities to learn and play, feel safe, and access other essential services such as nutrition and links to health services. While children are attending ECE, parents’ time can also be freed up for income generation or other activities necessary for the household to survive. ECE interventions implemented at the local level can help restore the social contract and develop community trust, and can also play a role in mitigating local conflicts. Because “fancy” infrastructure is not necessarily required, ECE expansion is ideal for communitydriven development.

Though ECE in fragile environments may be delivered in unique settings or under unique pressure, the principles described in the chapters in this volume are still relevant, chief among them the importance of a caring and capable ECE educator, the importance of pedagogy, opportunities to play and to learn through play, and the identification of flexible ways to use available spaces to facilitate learning. Some programs have deliberately integrated curriculum around managing the effects of trauma and conflict mitigation. Additionally, ECE in fragile settings should have a specific focus on primary caregivers and other adults because they can mitigate the negative effects of trauma and provide care and stimulation even in the absence of formal structures and when families are on the move.

Sources: GCPEA 2018; UIS 2020; UNICEF 2019.