Insights from the OECD’s work on early childhood education and care

Insights from the OECD’s work on

early childhood education and care

(ECEC)

Arno EngelEarly Childhood and Schools DivisionDirectorate for Education and Skills OECD

Insights from the OECD’s work on

early childhood education and care

(ECEC)

• Why does early childhood education and care matter?

• What can be done at the national and local level to boost access, equity & quality?

• How can the international data gap be closed?

Today’s Focus

• Why does early childhood education and care matter?

• What can be done at the national and local level to boost access, equity & quality?

• How can the international data gap be closed?

Today’s Focus

Maternal employment is higher in countries with higher enrolment in ECEC

Source: OECD Education at a Glance, 2014; OECD Family Data Base ,2014

The early years are pivotal for children’s brain development

Source: Council for Early Childhood Development, 2010

Children that attended pre-primary education score higher in maths at age 15

PISA score-point difference in mathematics between students who attended pre-primary school for more than one year and those who had not attended

Source: OECD PISA 2012

• Why does early childhood education and care matter?

• What can be done at the national and local level to boost access, equity & quality?

• How can the international data gap be closed?

Today’s Focus

• National examples:– Earmark grants to expand places in ECEC– Establish legal entitlements to a place (targeted

v. universal)– Allow ongoing admissions to ECEC settings

• Local examples:– Adapt provision to local needs (e.g. flexible

opening hours, language support, transportation)– Create information systems to estimate future

demand (e.g. parent surveys, birth statistics)– Mobilise local funding to ensure supply

Ensuring access

Increased enrolment from age 3

Source: OECD Education at a Glance 2014

• National examples:– Establish progressive fee structure and free

access (targeted v. universal)– Align cash benefits and service provision to

encourage participation– Earmark funding to support disadvantaged

children and ensure even levels of quality

• Local examples:– Establish one-stop-shops (e.g. job counselling

and childcare)– Increase outreach to families (e.g. calls, door-to-

door campaigning)– Cooperate with health and child welfare sector

Ensuring equity

Preschool helps children of less skilled parents to raise literacy skills

EPPE: The contribution of social class and pre-school to literacy attainment (age 7)

Source: Institute of Education 2007

• National examples:– Establish minimum standards and raise staff

qualification levels– Design curricula and support implementation

Ensuring quality

Country/ age

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Finland National curriculum guidelines on early childhood education

Core Curriculum for Pre-primary education

France Orientations code de la santé publique et projets

d'établissements

L'école maternelle : un cycle unique, fondamental

pour la réussite de tous

Ireland Early Childhood Curriculum Framework: Aistear  Korea  Standardised childcare

curriculumNuri Curriculum  

Norway Framework Plan for the Content and Tasks of Kindergartens

Portugal   The Curriculum Guidelines for Pre-School Education

UK-England 

Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework

UK-Scotland

Pre-birth to three - staff guidelines

Curriculum for Excellence

        up to 18

• National examples:– Establish minimum standards and raise staff

qualification levels– Design curricula and support implementation– Ensure objective external monitoring and

support research

• Local examples:– Adapt national standards to local circumstances– Ensure monitoring for quality improvement and

coaching– Engage families and communities

Ensuring quality

• Why does early childhood education and care matter?

• What can be done at the national and local level to boost access & quality?

• How can the international data gap be closed?

Today’s Focus

Agreed policy questions/ policy needs

OECD ECEC data development strategy

What’s the RoI?

Increased public spending => Return on investment?

What works for young children? What works best?•Learning and well-being environment, in particular, staff practices and pedagogy and quality of staff-child interactions

•Children’s experiences and outcomes

•Leadership

2015/16 projects – Measuring Quality in ECEC

POLICYStarting Strong I, II,

IIIEducation at a Glance (yearly)

Monitoring Quality Survey

CHILD DEVELOPMEN

T & OUTCOMES

cognitive & non-cognitive measures

ECEC Environment(Staff Survey)

Pilot 2015/16Main Study 2017/18

Home-learning

Environment

Parental Survey

Analytical alignment staff & outcomes surveys

Analytical alignment staff & outcomes surveys

ECEC Environment(Staff Survey)

Pilot 2015/16Main Study 2017/18

Collects data on•Staff beliefs/attitudes•Pedagogical practices/ staff-child interactions•Workforce development•Conditions of employment•Staff characteristics

CHILD DEVELOPMEN

T & OUTCOMES

cognitive & non-cognitive measures

Home-learning

Environment

Parental Survey

Collects data on •Quality of the child’s home learning environment•Extent to which ECEC can enhance parents’ support for their children’s learning•Family characteristics, eg parents’ education, socio-economic status

Collects data on Social and emotional , cognitive and other learning outcomes, as determined by participating countries.

Contact:Arno Engel ([email protected])OECD ECEC team ([email protected])

Thank you – questions & comments?