1. Objectives

The early childhood education (ECE) program objective is to expand early child education services for children aged from 0 to under 6 years, especially children from poor families, ethnic minorities and disabled children and with priority given to community and home-based pre-schools. Another objective is to improve the quality and provide more equitable access to these services.

2. Responding to ESP Strategies and Policies

Policy 1: Ensuring Equitable Access to Education Services

¯Expand access to ECE programs for 3 to below 6 year olds targeted on those communes with low net admission rates and high repetition rates in primary schools.

Policy action:

·         Guidelines formulated in 2010 on the establishment of community pre-schools by using the ECE budget and cooperating with the Ministry of Interior.

·         Action plan for implementing a national policy on early child care and development formulated in 2011.

·         Action plan for expanding community, home-based pre-schools and home-based groups in 2011.

·         Action plan for increasing ECE classes in primary schools formulated in 2011.

·         Guidelines on the management of private pre-schools developed in 2011.

·         Study on the process of decentralization in improving services and ECCD policy formulated in 2011.

·         Pilot programs on inclusive and bilingual education implemented in 2012.

¯Enhancing private/parent/community involvement in all stages of schooling, especially by commune councils.

Policy action:

·         Enrolment campaign in ECE starting from 2011.

Policy 2: Improving the Quality and Efficiency of Education Services

¯Improve the quality of teaching and learning at all levels nationwide.

            Policy action:

·         Guidelines on efficient and effective management of early child education formulated in 2010.

·         Curriculum for 3 and 4 year-old children’s education based on learning standards revised in 2011.

·         Principles for providing merit-based incentives for teachers of public pre-schools, community ECE, home-based ECE, ​ and home-based ECE network groups formulated in 2012.

Policy 3: Institutional and Capacity Development for Educational Staff for Decentralization

¯Strengthen the capacities of education management staff in management and leadership at national and sub-national levels.

Policy action:

·         Capacity development plan for ECE staff at all levels and programs in line with MOEYS’s capacity development strategy developed in 2012

3. Indicators and Targets

·         Increase ECE enrolment of five-year olds in either a formal or informal setting from 39.8% in SY 2009-2010 to 60% in SY 2013-2014.

·         Increase ECE enrolment of 3-4 years old in either a formal or informal setting from 15% in SY 2009-2010 to 30% in SY 2013-2014.

·         70% of pre-school teachers completed and received quality training on early child development in SY 2013-2014.

4. Main Programs and Activities

4.1) Recurrent programs (Program based budgeting​​​​​ and others budgeting)

·         Expand and stimulate the enrolment of 3 to under 6 years-old pupils, especially 5 year-old pupils, to enable them to study in grade 1 with quality and efficiency, with a focus on training pre-school teachers and updating the curriculum according to ECE learning standards.  

·         Provide school operational budgets for incomplete pre-schools and ECE classes for 3 and 4 year old children to ensure sustainability.

·         Expand community children development and care programs to provide holistic early childhood interventions, especially in disadvantaged environments, by parents/care workers, drawing upon activities in and around the community and the home.

·         Provide operational budgets for officials at national and sub-national levels in order to support planning, management and monitoring activities through developing a list or monitoring table to ensure the quality of ECE.

·         Provide budgets for capacity development for ECE staff at all levels and primary teachers who teach pre-school classes.

4.2) Capital programs

Investment

·         Provide adequate facilities according to children’s ages and needs especially disabled children, at public and community pre-schools with the cooperation of local authority, charity or development partners.

Technical Cooperation

·         Train technical staff at all levels on administrative and technical skills and how to improve relationships and cooperation with sub-national level staff and community-based ECE network groups.

·         Support ECE officials at national and sub-national levels in upgrading qualifications in relevant areas and subjects. 

5. Program Management and Monitoring

The Department of Early Childhood Education will be responsible for the management and monitoring of the Program. MOEYS will review the responsibilities at sub-national levels, and coordination with other relevant bodies including the national committees, EFA Secretariat and Committee, and ECCD Coordination Committee.

The MOEYS will coordinate with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Ministry of Health in order to strengthen early child care and education initiatives through home-based and parental education. The MOEYS will also coordinate with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs on the decentralization of community pre-school expansion.

6. Financing Plan (million Riels)

Early Childhood Education Department

1. Objectives

The early childhood education (ECE) program objective is to expand early child education services for children aged from 0 to under 6 years, especially children from poor families, ethnic minorities and disabled children and with priority given to community and home-based pre-schools. Another objective is to improve the quality and provide more equitable access to these services.

2. Responding to ESP Strategies and Policies

Policy 1: Ensuring Equitable Access to Education Services

¯Expand access to ECE programs for 3 to below 6 year olds targeted on those communes with low net admission rates and high repetition rates in primary schools.

Policy action:

·         Guidelines formulated in 2010 on the establishment of community pre-schools by using the ECE budget and cooperating with the Ministry of Interior.

·         Action plan for implementing a national policy on early child care and development formulated in 2011.

·         Action plan for expanding community, home-based pre-schools and home-based groups in 2011.

·         Action plan for increasing ECE classes in primary schools formulated in 2011.

·         Guidelines on the management of private pre-schools developed in 2011.

·         Study on the process of decentralization in improving services and ECCD policy formulated in 2011.

·         Pilot programs on inclusive and bilingual education implemented in 2012.

¯Enhancing private/parent/community involvement in all stages of schooling, especially by commune councils.

Policy action:

·         Enrolment campaign in ECE starting from 2011.

Policy 2: Improving the Quality and Efficiency of Education Services

¯Improve the quality of teaching and learning at all levels nationwide.

            Policy action:

·         Guidelines on efficient and effective management of early child education formulated in 2010.

·         Curriculum for 3 and 4 year-old children’s education based on learning standards revised in 2011.

·         Principles for providing merit-based incentives for teachers of public pre-schools, community ECE, home-based ECE, ​ and home-based ECE network groups formulated in 2012.

Policy 3: Institutional and Capacity Development for Educational Staff for Decentralization

¯Strengthen the capacities of education management staff in management and leadership at national and sub-national levels.

Policy action:

·         Capacity development plan for ECE staff at all levels and programs in line with MOEYS’s capacity development strategy developed in 2012

3. Indicators and Targets

·         Increase ECE enrolment of five-year olds in either a formal or informal setting from 39.8% in SY 2009-2010 to 60% in SY 2013-2014.

·         Increase ECE enrolment of 3-4 years old in either a formal or informal setting from 15% in SY 2009-2010 to 30% in SY 2013-2014.

·         70% of pre-school teachers completed and received quality training on early child development in SY 2013-2014.

4. Main Programs and Activities

4.1) Recurrent programs (Program based budgeting​​​​​ and others budgeting)

·         Expand and stimulate the enrolment of 3 to under 6 years-old pupils, especially 5 year-old pupils, to enable them to study in grade 1 with quality and efficiency, with a focus on training pre-school teachers and updating the curriculum according to ECE learning standards.  

·         Provide school operational budgets for incomplete pre-schools and ECE classes for 3 and 4 year old children to ensure sustainability.

·         Expand community children development and care programs to provide holistic early childhood interventions, especially in disadvantaged environments, by parents/care workers, drawing upon activities in and around the community and the home.

·         Provide operational budgets for officials at national and sub-national levels in order to support planning, management and monitoring activities through developing a list or monitoring table to ensure the quality of ECE.

·         Provide budgets for capacity development for ECE staff at all levels and primary teachers who teach pre-school classes.

4.2) Capital programs

Investment

·         Provide adequate facilities according to children’s ages and needs especially disabled children, at public and community pre-schools with the cooperation of local authority, charity or development partners.

Technical Cooperation

·         Train technical staff at all levels on administrative and technical skills and how to improve relationships and cooperation with sub-national level staff and community-based ECE network groups.

·         Support ECE officials at national and sub-national levels in upgrading qualifications in relevant areas and subjects. 

5. Program Management and Monitoring

The Department of Early Childhood Education will be responsible for the management and monitoring of the Program. MOEYS will review the responsibilities at sub-national levels, and coordination with other relevant bodies including the national committees, EFA Secretariat and Committee, and ECCD Coordination Committee.

The MOEYS will coordinate with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Ministry of Health in order to strengthen early child care and education initiatives through home-based and parental education. The MOEYS will also coordinate with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs on the decentralization of community pre-school expansion.

6. Financing Plan (million Riels)