Research Around the World

I chose this week to look at China and their research.  As I begin reading the site, this research drew well-known and unsung successes to bring this experience together. Focusing mostly on large scale 'tried and tested' experiences in low-income countries, researchers also drew lessons from relevant middle and high income countries' experiences, and from small-scale successes with strong potential for scaling up. This research examined the kinds of macro and sectoral policies which have proved most effective or have the greatest potential to tackle childhood poverty. It included an analysis of key economic policies, the role of cash transfers in securing child wellbeing and ways of promoting youth employment. Some of the key findings that I found to be interesting were how the growth-oriented and distributional measures are essentials for reducing childhood poverty particularly in basic education and comprehensive social protection - preferably before major liberalisation takes place. One effective form of redistribution is cash transfers for poor families - income supplements and minimum guaranteed incomes tend to have the greatest poverty reduction impacts. Programmes that integrate cash transfers with other key services are likely to have the strongest impacts on child wellbeing.

Another fact that I found to be interesting was how researchers believed that China has made great strides in building the public and political profile of ECCE and in boosting general levels of participation over the last two decades. Nationally, well over a third of preschoolers participate in formal center-based programs. China has developed a countrywide ECCE policy context that lays out progressive principles and complex management structures for nurseries (0 to 3), kindergartens (3-6) preprimary classes (5 to 6) and a variety of other forms of child and parent education. The general principles of the ECCE policy reflect progressive, child-centered curriculum, blended with some traditional cultural emphases and recognition of the importance of evaluation. In the management structures, the central government develops general policies and the implementation and detailed planning are pushed out through provincial and municipal governments to the local level with significant support from NGO’s such as the All-China Women’s Federation. The Education Ministry and education departments have the lead role but other ministries, such as Public Health, are charged with contributing to the operational aspects of the services.  

References:

China State Council. (2003). Opinions from the Department (Units) including the Ministry of on Education innovations and development of early childhood education.