This keynote presentation by Sally May Tan, the CEO South East Asia of Knowledge Universe was made at the 2011 Education World Conference in India. Sally May discussed the salient issues surrounding early childhood education across countries in Asia and highlighted the key areas of progress to an audience of investors and major education providers.

1. Early Childhood Education Global Conference
Mumbai, India
15 December 2011
THE GROWING
AWARENESS OF QUALITY
EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION
IN ASIA
Sally May Tan
Chief Executive Officer
Knowledge Universe South East Asia

2. If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed;
if in terms of ten years, plant trees;
if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.
Confucius

5. Factors at play affecting
access and quality of ECE
Issue of
responsibility
Policy and
Infrastructur
eSupport
Supporting
parents in
positive
family care
practices

6. The 2008 EFA* Global Monitoring Report stated
that only 53% of the world’s countries have
ECE programmes for children under 3.
Image source: blogspot.com
* Education For All

7. Around the world…
67 million children of primary-
school age out of school
17% of the world’s adults
(793 million people, two- thirds
are women) still lack basic
literacy skills.
2 million more teachers need to
be recruited and trained by
2015 to achieve universal
primary education
Source: unesco.org

8. What research tells us ...
“Rate of return of a dollar invested
while a person is young is higher
than the rate of return of the same
dollar made at a later age.”
James Heckman
Nobel Laureate, Economist

9. The Education for All (EFA) goals focus on the
need to provide learning opportunities at every
stage in life, from infancy to adulthood.
Image source: unesco.org

10. Goal #1
Expanding and improving comprehensive early
childhood care and education, especially for the most
vulnerable and disadvantaged children
Image source: unesco.org

11. Goal #2
Ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls,
children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to
ethnic minorities, have access to, and complete, free and
compulsory primary education of good quality.
Image source: huffingtonpost.com

12. Goal #3
Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and
adults are met through equitable access to appropriate
learning and life-skills programmes

13. Goal #4
Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult
literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable
access to basic and continuing education for all adults.
Goal #5
Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary
education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in
education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls full and
equal access to and achievement in basic education of
good quality.

14. Goal #6
Improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring
excellence so that recognised and measurable learning
outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy,
numeracy and essential life skills.

15. “The mandate to
improve all aspects
of the quality of
education is largely
dependent on the
quality of the
content; and for
more and better
trained teachers...”
UNESCO EFA Monitoring Report 2005
Source: unesco.org

17. Terms used to denote Early Childhood Services
and Age Ranges covered in South Asia
Definition and Age Ranges
ECCE (0-6 years), including an array of private
and NGO-sponsored programmes, creches for
working mothers, and pre-primary section in
schools (3-6 years)
Singapore
South-East Asia
Sub-Region
Image source: theasiaparent.com; trueknowledge.com

19. • HDI for 2011
= 0.866
Very high human
development categorySingapore
• Position = 26 out of 187 countries & territories
• Life expectancy at birth increased by 9.5 years
• Mean years of schooling increased by 5.1 years
• GNI per capita increased by 273.0%
Source: undp.org

20. China
East Asia Sub-Region
Medium human
development category
•Han Chinese 91.5%,
minorities and other
nationalities 8.5%
•HDI for 2011 = 0.687
•Position = 101 out of 187
countries & territories
•Life expectancy at birth
74.68 years
•Mean years of schooling 7.5
Sources: stateuniversity.com; lonelyplanet.com; wikipedia.org

21. China
Terms used to denote Early Childhood Services and Age
Ranges covered in South Asia
Definition and Age Ranges
ECCE (0-6 years), including an array of private and
NGO-sponsored programmes, creches for working
mothers, and pre-primary section in schools (3-6 years)
Sources: theasianparent.com; chinadigitaltimes.net

23. India
South Asia Sub-Region
•Population : approximately
1,198,003,000
•Ethnic groups : Indo-Aryan 72%,
Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and
other 3%
•HDI for 2011 = 0.547
•Position = 134 out of 187 countries
& territories
•Life expectancy at birth 64.4 years
•Mean years of schooling 4.4
Medium human
development category
Sources: infoplease.com; trueknowledge.com; atimes.com

24. India
Terms used to denote Early Childhood
Services and Age Ranges covered in South
Asia
Definition and Age Ranges
ECCE (0-6 years), including an array of private
and NGO-sponsored programmes, creches for
working mothers, and pre-primary section in
schools (3-6 years)
Sources: flickr.com; outlookindia.com

26. Malaysia
South-East Asia Sub-Region
•Population : 28.7 million
•Ethnic groups : Malay 50.4%,
Chinese 23.7%, indigenous
11%, Indian 7.1%, others 7.8%
•HDI for 2011 = 0.761
•Position = 61 out of 187
countries & territories
•Life expectancy at birth at
73.79 years
•Mean years of schooling: 12.6
High human
development category
Sources: altiusdirectory.com; indexmundi.com; undp.org; trueknowledge.com

27. Terms used to denote Early Childhood
Services and Age Ranges covered in South
Asia
Definition and Age Ranges
ECCE (0-6 years), including an array of
private and NGO-sponsored programmes,
creches for working mothers, and pre-
primary section in schools (3-6 years)
Malaysia
Sources: unhcr.org; worldofstock.com

30. Transform, not Reform.

31. Images and Information Sources:
•UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation)
-EFA Global Monitoring Report
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/efareport/reports/2011-conflict/
-Education For All (EFA)
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/education-for-all/
-The Dakar Framework for Education http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001211/121147e.pdf
-The Quality Imperative
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/efareport/reports/2005-quality/
Early Learning Matters http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8U96Q_x3qE
Nurturing the Children. Help Them Bloom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_ser1CA1yI
Chinese Migrant Children Given Opportunity to Attend School http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV_0NdRAThc
Early Education in India http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FR7ZJJjP7o
Giving an early boost to the next generation of... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ivBr5YpZ-I
Change the First Five Years and You Change Everything http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbSp88PBe9E
Credits
Cindy Yew
Curriculum Project Manager
Knowledge Universe