Changing the Perception Study on Impact of ECD in Primary Education in Nepal

Executive summary

 Nepal introduced Montessori, Kindergarten, and pre-school programmes in 1949 prior to implementing Early Childhood Development (ECD) in 1949. Then, in 1979 Seto Gurans National Child Development Services initiated its exploration of the ECD interventions in remote locations and the marginalized populations in rural Nepal. This initiative provided the legitimate basis of a foundation to implement ECD as a national priority programme. After the implementation of Education for All (EFA) commitment, the Ministry of Education (MoE) established an ECD Section that paved the way for institutionalizing the ECD model across the country. Since its initial implementation, there has been a steady increase in the number of ECD across the country. Currently, there are 20023 School Based Early Childhood Development (SBECD) and Community Based Early Childhood Development CBECD centers (DOE, 2008). In addition, there are numerous examples of Montessori and Kindergarten schools at the private level and alternative ECD in the public as well as community level. These numbers indicate a strong investment in ECD at various levels of Nepali Education stakeholders.

The objectives of this study are to (a) analyze the effect ECD has on the learning achievements of children in primary education (b) assess the enrollment and retention (and drop out) rates of children at the in Primary level, and (c) assess the parents, teachers, and community perception on ECD program.  In order to achieve these objectives, the study focused on the impact of publicly run SBECD and CBECD programs.

The study team collected quantitative data from achievement tests and the school records. It also generated qualitative information through observation, and focus group discussions. To enrich the investigative process described, numerous debriefing sessions were held in conjunction with scrutinizing reflection over the various stages of information. The data were the means to Triangulation, which was achieved by employing a multi-method approach and by generating data through various sources and channels.  An advisory team and the ECD networking contributed to enhancing the quality of this research from the early stage to the finalization of the report and equipped the study with their feedbacks for tools development to the finalization of the report. 

The study team visited 9 SBECD and 14 CBECD from four districts namely, Jumla, Surkhet, Baglung, and Mahottari. 

Major findings of the study are as follows:

As the team found, ECD graduates, regardless of their origin, exhibit better performance in learning than their non-ECD counterparts. The study shows that ECD children were encouraged to follow the learning process while the non-ECD children were accustomed to following the product approach to learning.

The study also found that SBECD could enroll more children in school than their CBECD counterparts, which is a challenge to its advocators and the promoters.  Regarding the retention of the students the study team found that Baglung had more dropouts than other districts.  Finally, we found that all the stakeholders of education valued ECD, but each sector of the community holds their own independent perception of its role.  For instance, poor parents perceived it as an alternative to the private boarding school; boarding school thought it as a venue to discipline the children; teachers perceived ECD as a place to provide prerequisite knowledge, attitude, and skills to their potential grade 1 enrollees; facilitators found this program as part-time job to some, outing scheme for others, and a ladder to go for teaching job.

On the basis of the above findings, the study team came up with a number of recommendations.  The major recommendations are as follows: 

1. Since ECD could satisfy different stakeholders of education, the study recommends that there should be wide ranges of national discussions at the local government level.  The local government, lead school, or the ECD promoters could coordinate such dissemination discourse sessions.  Following such discourse sessions ECD programs should be made available to the needy groups of the people through both demand and supply based approaches. 
2. The study recommends enabling CBECD to enroll more children in school.  For this the current process of not linking CBECD to school should be revised to ensure all CBECD graduates' in school.  In addition, we suggest for that school’s and CBECD update their record keeping system, to better track student’s enrollment and retention status.

In order to accommodate stakeholders' perception of what impact that ECD has on a child’s ability, we recommend the following:

1. basic research to be done by the ECD facilitators and the schoolteachers
2. development of both self taught and media taught basic and refresher training programs
3. preparation of a self reported supervision system
4. initiation of a community level ECD graduates' club
5. development of volunteer facilitators and supervisors
6. periodic exchange sessions between the school teachers and the SBECD facilitators
7. introduction of a ECD facilitators' support network, that includes: a media based open education program, scholarship for formal education, cost-saving scheme
8. media and listeners club, to serve as a parental education program
1. local government level reward system for the ECD promoters, whether they are the facilitators or the management committee members
10. regular sharing between the SBECD facilitators' knowledge, skills, and experience with the teachers and vice versa at the school level (l) periodic sharing session of the ECD parents non-ECD parents about the performance of their children including that of the CBECD's and SBECDs (m) smooth transition program to the ECD children of all grades  

 Both quantitative and qualitative data show that the ECD program is essential for children’s learning.  The outcome of  ECD program is hugely at quantity i.e., increase in number of ECD centers and children but moderate at quality level i.e., learning environment, ECD facilitators skills, usage of learning material.  Investment in ECD is very low (i.e. 6% of EFA) which should be increased as the ECD expansion is committed till 2015, to (55,000-60,000) ECD centers. This funding only ensures quantity not the quality. In order to ensure the quality intervention of ECD in Nepalese children recognizable investment further is essential

Education has become a widely discussed topic in the media, however the focus has neglected the role of ECD. As such, the study recommends advocating ECD through media intervention.