Provision of Integrated Early Childhood Development in Namibia: Are We on the Right Track?

Elizabeth Ngololo Kamara,Choshi Kasanda,Gert Van Rooy

doi:10.3390/educsci8030117

Elizabeth Ngololo Kamara, Choshi Kasanda + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci8030117

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Journal: Education sciences	Publication Date: Aug 7, 2018
Citations: 3	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Namibia

Abstract

The provision of Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) positively impacts children’s futures physically, cognitively, emotionally and socially. The assessment sought to inform intervention programs to improve the status of children’s physical, social-emotional, cognitive and educational needs, as well as their health and nutritional needs. A mixed method approach was used to collect data: a survey and multiple case studies through interviews with 32 caregivers were conducted and focus group discussions were held with community members. The findings show that the Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers lacked the essential prerequisites for the provision of quality IECD education as per the requirements stipulated in the Adapted Theory of Change (ATC). The study recommends formation of smart partnerships in providing integrated childhood development services at ECD centers to meet their health, sanitation, nutritional, physical, socio-emotional and cognitive needs.

Highlights

Access to Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) is a very important building block toward productive and responsible citizenry, a notion supported by the Namibian constitution [1]
The proliferation of Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers should be encouraged, within the guidelines developed by the Ministry of Gender, Equality and Child Welfare (MGECW), to ensure a quality ECD environment and subsequently contribute to the general education system in the country [2]
The focus group discussions lasted for at least an hour at ECD centers

Summary

Introduction

Access to Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) is a very important building block toward productive and responsible citizenry, a notion supported by the Namibian constitution [1].Namibia has adopted IECD as a prerequisite to successfully provide quality primary school education.the proliferation of Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers should be encouraged, within the guidelines developed by the Ministry of Gender, Equality and Child Welfare (MGECW), to ensure a quality ECD environment and subsequently contribute to the general education system in the country [2].To date, Namibia experiences highly skewed income distribution and resource allocation along racial lines, and biased against rural communities, who make up most of the population (54%) [3]. Namibia has adopted IECD as a prerequisite to successfully provide quality primary school education. The proliferation of Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers should be encouraged, within the guidelines developed by the Ministry of Gender, Equality and Child Welfare (MGECW), to ensure a quality ECD environment and subsequently contribute to the general education system in the country [2]. The majority of ECD centers are community-based and informal or not registered with the MGECW. An ECD center is a facility that provides education and care to children in the temporary absence of their parents in a holistic manner by tending to their health, nutrition, education, psychological development and other needs [4]. Provision of ECD to children in a holistic manner and incorporating health, nutrition, water and sanitation, education and interventions that support their full development

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