The Issue

The Issue

The Challenges

The Challenges

Access and equity

Access and equity

Quality

Quality

Education in emergencies

Education in emergencies

Governance and financing

Governance and financing

UNICEF in action

UNICEF in action

Global Education Strategy

Global Education Strategy

Regional approach

Regional approach

Inclusive Education

Inclusive Education

Regional Initiative: Including all out of school children in quality learning

Regional Initiative: Including all out of school children in quality learning

Child-friendly schools

Child-friendly schools

Adolescents, education & participation

Adolescents, education & participation

Events

Events

Resources on education

Resources on education

 

Children aged 3-6

© UNICEF/McConnico/2011

Early childhood education is an essential piece in the puzzle of ending education exclusion.

The coverage and quality of early childhood education in the region has fallen dramatically across the region as a result of transition. In some countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus, preschool enrolment rates hover around 10% of the preschool age population. The limited attempts to improve coverage have made little headway because the effort has been to restore the old system which was both elaborate and expensive.

In order for all young children to be ready for schools, a transformation is needed in the ‘preschool sectors’ across the sub-region. Innovative pilot projects across the sub-region have shown that alternative models of pre-school can be better in quality and lower in cost than the traditional models.

For more information about early childhood development, please visit the UNICEF Regional Office ECD web site.