Rose Davies, PhDPresented at Staff Seminar

School of Education, UWIDecember 6, 2012

The PresentationECD – The foundation of nations

The Science of ECD – brain development

The effectiveness of early intervention

The economics of ECD

Implications for policy

ECD, the foundation of nations... The future of any society depends on its ability to foster

the health and well-being of the next generation, the foundation of a prosperous and sustainable society

When we invest wisely in children and families, the next generation will pay that back through a lifetime of productivity and responsible citizenship.

When we fail to provide children with what they need to build a strong foundation for healthy and productive lives, we put our future prosperity and security at risk

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The Scientific evidence: First Five Years- period of most rapid brain development

1. At birth brain connections are relatively few – 50 trillion - these are determined by genes from parents

2. In first few months, connections increase by 20 times to over 1,000 trillion - these are determined by a baby’s experience

3. Experiences determine which pathways are formed and repeated experiences make these stronger and stronger - pathways that are not used fade away

4. Experiences of love and affection wire channels for these emotions, BUT experiences of anger and aggression also wire channels for these emotions

The Developing Brain...Source of Graphic:

Harry T. Chugani; Children’s Hospital of Michigan

The Sensitive Periods...

Like the construction of a home, the building process begins with laying the foundation, framing the rooms, and wiring the electrical system in a predictable sequence.

Brain architecture is built over a succession of “sensitive periods,” each of which is associated with the formation of specific circuits that are associated with specific abilities. The development of increasingly complex skills and their underlying circuits builds on the circuits and skills that were formed earlier.

0 1 4 8 12 16

AGE

Cognition builds on neural pathways started before birth, long before schooling

SensingPathways

(vision, hearing)

LanguageHigherCognitive Function

3 6 9-3-6

Months Years

See From Neurons to Neighborhoods, 2000.

Brain adaptability changes with age... The brain’s capacity for change decreases with age. The

brain is most flexible, or “plastic,” early in life to accommodate a wide range of environments and interactions

But as the brain matures and becomes more specialized to deal with more complex functions it gradually loses its plasticity and becomes less capable of adapting to new or unexpected challenges

•The brain is integrative...• The cognitive, emotional and social capacities of the individual are inextricably intertwined throughout the life course

•Emotional well-being and social competence provide a strong foundation for emerging cognitive abilities.

• The emotional and physical health, social skills, and cognitive-linguistic capacities that emerge in the early years are all important prerequisites for success in school and later in the workplace and community.

Effects of toxic stress on the brain Toxic stress damages developing brain architecture,

which can lead to life-long problems in learning, behavior, and physical and mental health.

Scientists now know that chronic, unrelenting stress in early childhood, caused by extreme poverty, repeated abuse, or severe maternal depression, for example, can be toxic to the developing brain. In the absence of the buffering protection of adult support, toxic stress becomes built into the body by processes that shape the architecture of the developing brain.

Early preventive intervention will be more efficient and produce more favourable outcomes than remediation later in life

A balanced approach to emotional, social, cognitive, and language development will best prepare all children for success in school and later in the workplace and community.

Supportive relationships and positive learning experiences begin at home but can also be provided through a range of services with proven effectiveness factors..

in situations where toxic stress is likely, intervening as early as possible is critical to achieving the best outcomes.

The case for early Intervention...

Effectiveness of ECED Intervention Programmes: The Evidence

Major International longitudinal studies: UK - EPPE (Effective Pre-primary and Primary

Education)

USA - High Scope Perry Pre school Project, (Michigan)

USA - ABECEDARIAN Project (North Carolina)

... have established that - Preschool experience - compared to none - enhances

children’s development.

Promotes schooling, reduces crime, promotes productivity in the workplace, reduces teenage pregnancy.

The earlier it begins the greater the impact on intellectual development, sociability, concentration and independence.

However, the quality of the programme, especially teacher

training and pedagogy, is critical to the child

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Research in the Caribbean: What makes the difference for children’s outcomes?

The Profiles Project: Longitudinal research in Jamaica on a national sample of

6 year olds entering primary school in 1999 found that most children attended early childhood facilities at an early age, from 3 years old, and that facilities lacked material, space, furniture and programme structure.

69% of the sample followed up and assessed in 2003.

Children from lower socio economic status performed significantly less well than their peers with higher socio economic status – and the gap was widening.

Those in attendance at higher fee paying schools had improved academic and behaviour outcomes.

SOURCE: Report of the Profiles Project by Maureen Samms-Vaughan,

Planning Institute of Jamaica 2004

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Pedagogy, Leadership, Structured support…the case of St Kitts Nevis

In 1981, the Government collaborated with the High/Scope Foundation to train early childhood care-givers and teachers in the “Plan, Do, Review” pedagogy.

Strong leadership by successive heads of early childhood education combined with Government support through policy, salaries, professional development, regulation, equipment and materials for centres

In 2007, a survey of the quality of the learning environments found good quality in government centres but two thirds of private centres achieving only a minimal standard, reflecting challenges with overcrowding and insufficient learning activities

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The economic evidence … preschool gives the best rate of return to human development

Pre-school Programmes

School

Job Training

ReturnPer $

Invested

R

2

4

6

0 6 18Age

Pre-school School Post-school

Source: P. Carneiro & J. Heckman, Human Capital Policy, NBER, 2003.

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Some Implications... It is important to create the right conditions for early

childhood development as it is likely to be more effective and less costly than addressing problems at a later stage

For society, this means that remedial education, clinical treatment and other professional interventions are more costly than the provision of nurturing (serve & return relationships), protective relationships and appropriate learning experiences earlier in life. Simply put, getting it right the first time is more efficient and ultimately more effective than trying to fix them later

Concluding thought.... It is better to “bite the bullet” of putting the resources,

financing etc where it really counts, i.e. In the early years, if countries hope to achieve the goal of national prosperity, and in the case of our country...

“make Jamaica the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business” (Vision 2030 –PIOJ)

Questions??, Comments??

Thank You.