Study ECD in Action

Abstracts

ECD exerts its images throughout the life of an individual. The success and failure of an adult's performances is largely dependent upon the course of development that took place in her/his childhood. The quality care and development in one's early life substantially helps him/her grow as a successful member in family, society and the nation as a whole. ECD, therefore, has increasingly been capturing the attention of its key stakeholders in the recent years in Nepal. Particularly NSG has been providing its services on ECD to the ECD stakeholders for about a decade and more. In course of practicing quality ECD it ran ECD in Action program with the help of Save the Children, Nepal in 24 districts in the year of 2005. In the end of 5^th years of its commencement it felt need of evaluating ECD in Action program in terms of its relevancy, effectiveness and impact to the target people and place. To fulfill the need as such three districts ( Baglung, Tanahu and Udaypur) were selected from among those where ECD in Action program has been running. Three ECD centers from each district under this study were selected as sample size. Parents, facilitators, children, DSG personnel, members of ECDMC, VDC secretary, etc. were selected as key informants to generate data. FGD, interview and field observation were adopted as tools to gather information for the study. A list of questions was developed prior to visiting the specified field for this study to explore mechanism of ECD in Action, its relevancy, effectiveness and impact. The data generated from the field were descriptively analyzed and interpreted and findings were noted as follows:

In the process of implementing ECD in Action program NSG developed district trainers. These

district trainers were sent to the districts where they made publicity for ECD, raised awareness among parents and community people for quality ECD practices, united the key stakeholders to establish ECD centers and discussed the availability of resources to run ECD centers with due coordination of DEO. In the part of implementing ECD in Action program, 9-11 ECD centers were grouped together just as the solar system in which one was established as resource center. ECDMC was formed in each ECD center with the participation of parents, facilitators and community members. NSG along with DSG and ECD focal person in DEO provided 10 days training to the facilitators, MC and parents at the resource center within the cluster. A social mobilizor / program coordinator (in DSG) was appointed to facilitate ECD centers in the community and bridge them with DSG and DEO. Facilitators implemented their knowledge and skills acquired from training in the ECD classroom with the help of MC and parents. DSG supported the facilitators on the spot to address issues and problems, if any, occur while implementing ECD program in the classroom. Facilitators held meeting in every 15 days in the beginning in Baglung and Tanahu at their resource centers but in Udayapur facilitators held their meeting every month which was led by resource person of DSG. This meeting focused on thematic preparation, reviewing the previous work, and exchanging learning experiences. Facilitators' meeting was led by DSG supplemented with some necessary expertly advices.  Inputs (technical, financial-transportation and learning materials) were provided / supported by NSG through DSG to add effectiveness in facilitators' mobile meeting. But after phase out of ECD in Action they met once in a month with their own initiation and resources. This meeting now has been changed into mobile form and it takes place 9-11 times in one year time. In 'mobile meeting' the facilitators meet and discuss ECD practices together in one resource center in one month and the other resource center in the next month. The materials prepared during the workshop (in mobile meeting) are collected by the center in which the workshop is held. Monitoring and supervision of each cluster in each district is done by NSG in the joint collaboration of CDO, LDO, DEO, DPHO, etc. Meeting of ECDMC is held to discuss about classroom pedagogy, access of children to ECD center, developing infrastructure and sources to generate income for ECD center.

The program was relevant in the sense that Children from marginalized and disadvantaged

Families were equipped with ECD skills. ECD in Action program was found to lead the children in community within the school system successfully and, therefore, there was hardly any ECD aged children in the community without going to ECD center. Earlier to ECD in Action program parents were not known to ECD practices and its importance for holistic development of their children. Since the establishment of ECD centers and dissemination of their services in community parents and community members showed their keen interest for further growth and development of ECD centers. Hence the demand of ECD centers got increase day by day. ECD in Action program also brought desirable changes in behaviors, actions, life skills and activities of children at home and community. The holistic development of a child through games and play became popular and the sense of treating children with love, affection and kindness developed among facilitators and parents. ECD national curriculum was successfully implemented through this program.  Implementing ECD in Action through Solar system made easy access to the children of all classes and castes in quality ECD services.  The resource center became the site for learning for novice facilitators. It was reported that they come and learn in the resource center and go back to implement the same in their ECD classroom. It has also been able to address the classroom dilemmas among facilitators. Due to the less wages of facilitators their drop out was reported to be high. The new facilitator is capacitated as per need and demand in the resource centers which is absent in government mechanism. The quality services disseminated through this program has attracted the attention of parents, community people and various other stakeholders in the districts.

Similarly, as per the plan and strategy of ECD in Action training programs for facilitators, parents and ECDMC were launched. The training was observed to bring many desirable changes among children particularly in terms of their behaviors, preparedness for later literacy. ECD curriculum was implemented easily. Learning themes and contents were developed in the match with locally available materials. ECD awareness programs were launched rigorously within the catchment area of a particular ECD center. As a result, parents and community people began to donate their time, energy and money to flourish ECD centers.  Parents provided home-made materials such as khoya, bamboo sticks, wooden blocks, nanglo, etc. as education materials to the ECD center. This shows that training and interaction with parents remained effective and useful. It has reduced classroom dilemmas among facilitators and has inspired, activated and encouraged facilitators to devote for all-round development of children.  This was confirmed by observing the classroom management, teaching materials, children performances and guardians supports during FGD. Classroom was divided into various learning zones: science, geography, language, library, role play / drama, etc. Each learning zone was consisted of materials related to learning contents.

Some notable impacts of ECD center's managerial and pedagogical practices were observed such as facilitators' competency increased and their knowledge, skills and attitude improved. Children's performance at primary education became better than the children of non-ECD background. Parents and community members began to support ECD centers in terms of developing its infrastructure, facilitators' salary (in some cases). ECD practices were seen positively at district level line organizations. As a result they began to allocate budget for ECD in the district. The facilitators of ECD centers which were not within the focus of ECD in action also began to approach ECD process adopted by ECD in Action. Children began to greet and communicate with strangers, the guests, their teachers and parents more openly and pleasantly.

Parents began to be aware of managing good food and sanitation for helping children in healthy way. Children began to present their feeling, ideas and emotion openly and approach their teachers and parents independently to get their problems addressed. Learning through games, songs and activities became interesting and pleasant among them which they began to express before their family members at home. The children began to repeat their learning themes/ contents in their home environment in the way they had learned at ECD center. The efficiency of facilitators in delivering ECD services in the classroom increased. They began to create songs and poems, games and activities independently which were suitable enough to run pedagogical practices as per ECD curriculum.