UNESCO Holds Regional Early Childhood Care and Education Conference in the Arab States

اليونسكو

2023 - 06 - 18

As follow up to the Tashkent Conference, UNESCO in partnership with the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA), Sharjah Education Academy (SEA), Sharjah Supreme Council for Family Affairs, and Sharjah Child Friendly Office organized a two-days regional ECCE conference in Sharjah, U.A.E. from June 4 to 5 2023. The conference, which brought together 14 nations, six international and regional organisations, and 27 experts in early childhood education, was an opportunity for Arab States to discuss ways to increase and improve investment in ECCE, which is an essential and integral part of their strategies for achieving lifelong learning societies and sustainable development.

The conference, which brought together 14 nations, six international and regional organisations, and 27 experts in early childhood education, was an opportunity for Arab States to discuss ways to increase and improve investment in ECCE, which is an essential and integral part of their strategies for achieving lifelong learning societies and sustainable development.

The regional ECCE Conference in Sharjah provided a platform for stakeholders to review progress on the SDG 4.2 target, exchange knowledge, research, practices, and innovations, identify opportunities, develop and agree upon strategies to accelerate progress, strengthen regional partnership and solidarity, and explore Sharjah's experience in ECCE.

The conference focused on four areas including ECCE workforce and caregivers, Programme innovations, Policy and governance, and finance. It also tackled diversity, equity, quality, and happiness as well as Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 4.2, which commits Member States to “ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education” by 2030.

The conference concluded with the Sharjah 2023 Declaration, which outlines a set of recommendations for improving early childhood education in Arab countries. The declaration will serve as a roadmap for Arab nations to follow as they work to enhance early childhood care and education at the national and regional levels.

Government support was a key theme at the conference. The conference participants stressed the importance of government support for early childhood care and education and they called on governments to invest in this important area.

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