Early childhood education is a crucial stage in a child’s developmental journey, setting the foundation for future achievement, social development, and personal growth. The research shows that children who receive high-quality early childhood education, demonstrate better social, cognitive and emotional skills throughout their lives. Additionally, early childhood education fosters essential future skills like critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving, which are indispensable in today’s rapidly evolving world. However, the path to providing high-quality early education is fraught with challenges that educators, parents, and policymakers must navigate.

Less funding compared to other stages of education

According to UNICEF, pre-primary education provides the highest return on investment of all education sub-sectors but receives the smallest share of government expenditure when compared to primary, secondary, and tertiary education. This underfunding impacts the quality of early education services and the availability of resources necessary for children’s development based on their individual needs, strengths and wishes. Insufficient financial resources can lead to limited or outdated educational materials, inadequate play areas, a less stimulating environment, and inadequate staff salaries.

Shortage of well-trained educators

Many countries struggle to attract and retain skilled teachers in early childhood education. UNICEF reports that 9.3 million new teachers are needed globally, emphasizing the scale of the shortage. With the demanding nature of the job, the responsibility, inadequate salary, and low professional status lead to staff’s high turnover rate. To change this pattern, it’s essential to attract and keep skilled teachers by providing better pay and ongoing training.

Educators are at the heart of early childhood education, and their continuous professional development is essential. The shortage of well-trained teachers directly impacts the quality of early childhood education. Without sufficient qualified staff, children may not receive individual attention and tailored learning experiences they need for development and future success

Parental engagement is crucial

Parental involvement is key to a child’s educational success, yet engaging parents effectively remains a challenge. Many parents may not have the time, resources, or knowledge to support their child’s learning journey, which can hinder the child’s development and progress. Research has consistently shown that when parents are actively involved in their children’s early education, it can lead to improved literacy and math skills, as well as better overall academic performance. This engagement helps extend teaching beyond the classroom.

The use of digital technology has opened new avenues for parental engagement, offering flexibility and seeing their child’s development in real-time. The digital and interactive platform DigiLa can make parents more engaged in supporting their children in different areas of learning. From DigiLa a parent can find educational and interactive videos on different topics: language and speech, music, art, mathematics, STEAM, digital, self and environment, and movement. Each video addresses a topic through an activity while also fostering overall skill development. More importantly, these activities are easy to do at home with available means.

Adapting to change

The field of early childhood education is dynamic, with new research and societal changes continually shaping its landscape. Educators must be adaptable, updating their practices to reflect new understandings and the evolving needs of children. However, it is only possible when early childhood education is seen as an important step in nurturing the potential of every child and lays the foundation for future learning and success. To achieve this, early childhood education requires increased investment, support for educators, and policies that ensure equal access.

Resources:

• Bustillo, E. Z. & Patrinos, H.A. (2023). Four of the biggest problems facing education—and four trends that could make a difference. Education for Global Development, https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/education/four-biggest-problems-facing-education-and-four-trends-could-make-difference
• GGI Insights. (2024). Challenges Facing Early Childhood Education: Key Issues and Solutions, https://www.graygroupintl.com/blog/challenges-facing-early-childhood-education
• GGI Insights. (2024). Theories of Early Childhood Education: A Critical Examination, https://www.graygroupintl.com/blog/theories-of-early-childhood-education
• Gross, D., Bettencourt, A.F., Taylor, K., Francis, L., Bower, K., Singleton, D.L. (2019)What is Parent Engagement in Early Learning? Depends Who You Ask, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01680-6
• UNICEF. Every child deserves access to quality early childhood education, https://www.unicef.org/education/early-childhood-education