Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) is a growing priority of the Government of Swaziland (GoS), yet in 2009 just 21.6% of children nationwide had access to pre-school education prior to entering the formal system. In addition to children’s lack of access to ECDE services is a need for improved quality of services in Swaziland’s existing community ECDE centers, including Neighbourhood Care Points (NCPs) and community ECDE centers.
Swaziland’s community ECDE centers are consistently challenged by teachers’ lack of educational qualifications and experience and inability to access up-to-date ECDE information, resources or basic learning materials; high staff turnover as a result of the volunteer structure typical of most local centers; and low community and parent involvement and ownership.
World Education/Bantwana's ECDE program addresses the two core barriers of ECD for the most marginalized children: access and quality.
Bantwana’s ECDE model aims to provide highly vulnerable children ages 3-6 years with quality learner-centered, play-based programs and access to trained community-based ECDE facilitators through the development of an instructor’s guide for ECDE facilitators; trainings for community-based facilitators at Neighborhood Care Points (NCPs); defined national ECDE standards and formal ECDE syllabus; permaculture gardens; mobile health assessments and linkages to referrals; and community sensitizations for parents, local government, and traditional leaders.
World Education strives to build lasting relationships with partners across diverse geographic regions and technical sectors to produce better education outcomes for all.
