SIXTH INTER AMERICAN MEETING OF MINISTERS OF EDUCATION Better Opportunities for the Youth of the Americas: Rethinking Secondary Education Progress and Challenges of the Hemispheric Commitment to Early Childhood Education María Estela Ortiz, Executive Vice President of Junta Nacional de Jardines Infantiles (JUNJI) Thursday August 13, 2009

EARLY CHILDHOOD POLICY IN CHILE AT THE CORE OF THE GOVERNMENTS PUBLIC POLICY, WITH TRANSVERSAL SUPPORT FROM THE VARIOUS STATE SECTORS NEW LAW THAT INSTITUTIONALIZES THE COMPREHENSIVE CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEM, CHILE GROWS WITH YOU HAS COMPLETED ITS LAST LEGISLATIVE STEP TO BECOME A STATE LAW, THUS ASSURING ITS CONTINUITY AND SUSTAINABILITY. A TERRITORIAL RIGHTS-CENTERED POLICY UNDER INTER- MINISTERIAL COORDINATION FROM THE FIRST PREGNANCY CONTROL TO THE CHILDS SCHOOL ENTRY.

QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND ITS INCORPORATION IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM, WITH STRONG FAMILY INVOLVEMENT. CHILE DAY CARE PUBLIC COVERAGE 486% INCREASE MEDIO LEVEL PUBLIC COVERAGE 51% INCREASE

STUDIES AND RESEARCH IN CHILE IN THE PAST THREE YEARS: EVALUATION OF DAY CARE CENTER EFFECTIVENESS: LONGITUDINAL STUDY. STUDY ON DEMAND STUDY ON THE IMPACT ON MOTHERS OF DAY CARE CENTER GROWTH. ALLIANCE WITH GRIP RESEARCH CENTER IN CANADA TO DEVELOP RESEARCH AIMED AT EARLY PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE. AGREEMENT WITH CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT FOR THE TRANSLATION INTO SPANISH OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD RESEARCH ENCYCLOPEDIA. INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON THE IMPACT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CARRIED OUT IN NOVEMBER 2007, IN CHILE

Hemispheric Commitment for Early Childhood Education (Cartagena 2007) The Ministry of Education of Chile, through Junta Nacional de Jardines Infantiles (JUNJI), carried out jointly with OAS/DEC, UNICEF and UNESCO: a) The Second Inter American Symposium on the Successful Transition of the Child to Socialization and School (Valparaíso, Chile 27-29, May 2009) b) Special activities: (May , 2009) With indigenous leaders coordinated by UNICEF. Declaration was approved and delivered to the Ministers among other informative papers (15 countries). Meeting for Project on Trends of transition policies in indigenous, rural and border communities. (13 countries: coordination OEA/Van Leer, IDEI of Chile: academia, government, communicators) Lessons learned, observation of Chilean centers and programs: INTEGRA, Rayen Mahui, JUNJI, Hogar de Cristo, and in Valparaíso. (18 countries of the region. Coordination: Mineduc (Chilean Ministry of Education), JUNJI, INTEGRA. Meeting of communicators: awareness creation, advocacy, use of networks and technology: 10 countries, coordinated by OEA/DEC.

Second Inter American Symposium on the Successful Transition of the Child to Socialization and School. (Valparaíso, Chile, May Participants: (128 FROM 34 COUNTRIES); Vice Ministers, National Directors of Early and Primary Education; of other sectors: health, social development, indigenous communities, planning, social security organizations, UNESCO, UNICEF, World Bank, OEI, CAF staff, indigenous councils; civil society researchers and experts and global enterprises. -LIVE BROADCAST (To 34 COUNTRIES in the region, Japan, Israel, and The Netherlands). All conferences and materials are posted on the Web/OAS and JUNJI.

Second Inter American Symposium on the Successful Transition of the Child to Socialization and School. Valparaíso, Chile, May PRIOR ACTIVITIES: -The study on Early Childhood Transitions : An International Outlook analyzes the transitions in the Americas and some countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It describes the conceptual framework, analyzes policies, curricula, didactic materials, teacher training, the participation of parents; and includes an annotated bibliography. (An Executive Summary was handed out during the Symposium). The study is in the process of edition and translation into English. (Contribution of consultants Maribel Cormack/Erika Dulkenberg). -Questionnaire on transitions, applied at pre-school and primary education levels, 85% have been returned. Thanks to Dr. Marva Ribeyro, we recovered 100% of the ECCE questionnaires in the Caribbean.

Transitions Questionnaire Findings/Challenges – Important progress in the formulation of comprehensive policies, plans and programs: State, family and civil society. Insufficient. Non-explicit transition policies. – Reported coverage corresponds to 4-5 year-olds. Entry into primary school for 6 year-olds, without adequate development. No statistics or services aimed at 0-3 year-olds, much less in indigenous or rural communities. – Greater % of non-professional staff in Early Childhood Education than in the first two years of primary school. – Higher First Grade repetition rates in rural and indigenous communities. – Weak evaluation and research practice in countries.

Conceptual concept of early childhood transitions Transitions are processes, critical times of change experienced by children in their transit from one environment to another. They include the child, his/her family environment and the educational institutions involved. They open enrichment opportunities under favorable conditions that assure that these transitions take place satisfactorily. All the actions carried out before, during and after birth are relevant. ( Contribution of Project on transition policy trends: OAS/Van Leer)

Policies and strategies for a successful transition of the child to socialization and school Project Recommendations: – Developing the 2010 – 2011 Work Agenda proposed at the symposium held in Valparaíso, Chile, on May – Establish mechanisms and forms to implement the early and primary education policies. – Review national early and primary education transition policies and their operation and implementation at local, indigenous, and rural levels. Disseminate them to improve the quality of the results of early childhood education. – Due application of Comment No. 7 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, approved in 2005 and continue the application of the Commitment of the Ministers of Education of – Foster equity and quality actions: work with families and 0-3 year old children; initial training, service training, and professionalization of teachers and other educational agents.

Project: Expansion of hemispheric commitment to early childhood education through technology and communication networks (Financed by CIDA/Canada) The Ministers of Education Commitment proposes todevelop communication and dissemination policies and exchange and promote early childhood advocacy and social participation experiences.

Project: Expansion of hemispheric commitment to early childhood education through technology and communication networks (Financed by CIDA/Canada) – From August 2008, the outcome of four workshops with communication and child education specialists is entitled Communication Strategy to improve early childhood education quality. Participants: Colombia, Peru, Chile, Jamaica, Surinam, UNICEF, Argentina, World Association of Early Childhood Educators (AMEI) from Spain, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago. The cost of implementing the Early Childhood Portal defined in the Strategy is under consultation with various service suppliers. Three databases are planned: Experts, successful experiences, and links to other web sites and networks. Magazine specialized in early childhood with CINDE – Colombia. Network of publishers and directors editors of childrens magazines has been organized. Next workshop to take place in Monterrey, México. (September 21 al 25, 2009).

Online Course: Introduction to strategies for the early childhood care of 0-3 year-olds With the support of consultant M. Cormack,the contents for the eight-week online course Introduction to strategies for the early childhood care of 0-3 year-olds were prepared. It shall be imparted in early Based on this course, a one-semester diploma course shall be negotiated with universities and teacher training institutions. ( This course is part of the initiative of the NPA Program and CapaciNet of SEDI).

REQUEST TO MINISTERS In view of the progress attained by member States in fulfilling the HEMISPHERIC COMMITMENT TO EARLY CHILDHOOD, we request that Ministers commission CIE and the TECHNICAL SECRETARIAT with the preparation and approval of an INTER AMERICAN EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM.