Why Pre-Primary Education is Vital to Ensure Peace and Prosperity of Nations?
Pre-Primary Education has an important role in shaping
future citizens who are responsible and contribute towards a peaceful and
prosperous society, according to UNICEF.
In its first ever global report on pre-primary education
titled 'A World Ready to Learn:Prioritizing Quality Early Childhood Education',
UNICEF pointed out that at least one year of primary education will equip
children with critical skills they need to succeed in school. This will ensure
that they don't have to repeatedly study in one class or drop out of studies.
Those who attend pre-primary education classes are likely to
complete primary school and also attain minimum competencies in reading and
math. Literacy and numeracy skills are important for success in life.
Among the factors causing lesser children to go for
pre-primary education in low income countries include household income,
educational levels of mothers and geographical location. Children living in
conflict regions are also not likely to enrol for early childhood programmes.
There are 33 nations identified as conflict prone.
The budgetary allocation of governments for education also
plays a critical role in enrolments in pre-primary education. UNICEF said that
many low income countries spent less than 2 percent of their education budgets
for this sub sectors while the average was 6.6%. They have urged governments to
increase spending on pre-primary education to 10% of total education budget.
“If today’s governments want their workforce to be
competitive in tomorrow’s economy, they need to start with early education. If
we are to give our children the best shot in life to succeed in a globalized
economy, leaders must prioritize, and properly resource, pre-primary education,
according to Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF.
RECOMMENDED NEWS
