Investment In Ecd

Scientific arguments for investing in ECD The stipulation of quality early child care and early childhood education has remained firmly on government agendas in recent years. Even the issues like public awareness gaps and unsatisfactorily quality in service are found to be addressed. Scientists urge on investment in ECD as it offers a much better return. First, a child’s first few years are a sensitive period for brain development and set a trajectory for his or her success in school and later in life. Second, a series of longitudinal studies shows well-focused and funded investments in early childhood development programs produce substantial returns for disadvantaged children and, to even a greater degree, for the public. Research contributes that the quality of life and the contributions a person makes to society as an adult can be traced back to the first few years of life. If a child from birth through age 8 receives support for development in cognition, language, motor skills, adaptive skills, and social/ emotional functioning, he or she more likely to succeed in school and in the work place. However, if a child doesn’t have support for healthy development at an early age, the child is more at risk for negative outcomes, including dropping out of school, committing crime, and receiving welfare payments as an adult. Children who are exposed to stress from conditions such as living in poverty, having parents with chemical dependency or low levels of education, or suffering abuse or neglect are more likely than otherwise to enter kindergarten ill- prepared to succeed in school.

According to Scientists and Educationalists ECD investment may give fruitful result if these major points are incorporated. 1. Spotlight on the children who are at risk. There is no doubt that all the children benefit from investment in ECD. But government recourses for ECD programs should be focused on those children who at higher risk for developmental deficits and have no access to high quality ECD programs. Conditions that indicate that the child is at risk are low family income, violence or neglect in the home, low parent education levels, a teenage parent, low birth weight, suffering from poor health, parent chemical addiction. If a person is less skilled subsequently his future will be, 1

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less employed, less productive, and earning less. When these children become adults they will be less able to help us sustain our public retirement benefits system and our economy. In short, the consequences of childhood poverty on our collective economic health and wellbeing as a community are profoundly negative and have long term consequences. Scalability. Well government should grasp this simple mechanism of life, as we are talking about the growth and future of young children we must not forget that most of the children at higher risk are facing the above problems, so first to resolve those problems by educating their parents, run an anti-poverty program in order to prepare for productive ECD. Not only this but the teachers teaching in ECD be provided with a handsome salary so that they can work sincerely as their job requires lots of efforts and that is possible when their financial needs are addressed. Parental contribution. Of course parental contribution is a crucial component in the success of ECD. When parents are trained they can better facilitate their children’s development at home as they have to nurture in the crucial brain development phase. Research proves that a child’s brain is much faster than an adult and can grasp more than an adult. Not only this but learning in early years remains throughout life . Outcome orientation. ECD programs succeed when their goals are clear, explicit, and carefully monitored. Since their primary goal is meeting developmental milestones of the children in their care, those programs should perform regular assessments of cognitive and social-emotional outcomes. And the programs themselves should be oriented toward achieving constant progress for each child. Outcome assessments allow for individual progress reviews, curriculum improvements, and staff and program accountability. Long term obligation. Children thrive in secure, consistent environments. Similarly, ECD programs should be designed to expand the cognitive and psychological development of children need the security of longterm commitment. This is not to say that such programs should not be challenged to improve continuously, but children, parents, and ECD programs will benefit if they are assured of financial backing and institutional support as long as specified standards and outcomes are met. Conclusion Research explains that Compared with the billions spent each year on questionable economic expansion schemes, investment in early 2

childhood is a far better and more promising economic development tool. Farhana khatani

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