Addressing challenges in the private sector in Early Childhood Education

Sunil BatraDirector Education, Shikshantar

Director, Shiksharth

Ambedkar University Conference25-27th September, 2013

'The public–private divide'

Conventional social and institutional inequities have been made increasingly complex with the rise of market forces

Market forces influence finance and perpetually changing notions of access, equity and quality

In effect, new and incomprehensible cultural conflicts emerge in society from time to time

Would the public or private sector be better equipped to address these conflicts? Or will we need an amalgamation of sorts?

The ECCE Context

Neglect in policy, budgeting, imagination, research, training, provisions and regulation

In this context, and in the pressure to privatise, how can we visualise:

a) constructive models to enhance ECCE by the private sector

b) enduring public-private partnership for the public good

In short, how can the private sector work beyond the micro level to reach out to the needs of the macro level?!

Likely role of the private sector

Essentially, contributions by the private sector could include one or more of the following:

Access

Training

Research

Collaborations for institutional development

'Quality'

continued

Access User fee dependentOpportunities through RtE but extremely subjective and externally imposed

Training End user will largely be the private sector; will be dependent on user fee; regulation of training programmes presently inadequate

Research Since end user not easily identified and because research in social sciences does not necessarily lead to development of products, private support for research is minimal; however, with growing CSR, could this offer future possibilities?

Collaborations for institutional development

Endless possibilities as long as goals are long-term and not primarily revenue driven

Components of Quality in ECCE

Quality Regulation Standardisation Evolving standards

Infrastructure √ √

Staffing √ √

Organisation √ √

Curriculum √ √

Pedagogy ? ?

Change facilitation

Change management

Components of Quality in ECCE

Quality Regulation Standardisation Evolving standards

Infrastructure √ √ ?

Staffing √ √ ?

Organisation √ √ ?

Curriculum √ √ ?

Pedagogy √ √ ?

Change facilitation ? ? ?

Change management_______________

?

_____________

?

___________________

?

________________

Components of Quality in ECCE

Quality Regulation Standardisation Evolving standards

Infrastructure √ √ ?

Staffing √ √ ?

Organisation √ √ ?

Curriculum √ ? ?

Pedagogy √ ? ?

Change facilitation ? ? ?

Change management_______________

?

_____________

?

___________________

?

________________

Access/Equity

Inclusion Multilingualism Monitoring/Supervision

Regulation: what, how much?

Assuming regulation is in place: Regulation can raise standards but largely structural

(infrastructure, staffing, compliance) Is regulation about meeting 'acceptable standards' or

developing new standards? How would regulation be ensured? If inspection is not the most

reliable mechanism, what is? How or what kind of regulation can raise notions and standards

of quality? Quality is dynamic and endless

Models to learn from

Montessori Education Steiner-Waldorf Schools Reggio Emilia Approach Bank Street School and College of Education University of Chicago Laboratory School Bernard van Leer Foundation

Azim Premji Foundation Pratham Akanksha Foundation Muktangan

Possibilities for engagement with the private sector

Leadership development

Advocacy

Organisational collaborations

Collaborations with universities

Professional development opportunities for practitioners