Tackling the ECD Gap Romani Children and A

Tackling the ECD Gap: Romani Children and A Good Start Policy Recommendations From Pilots to Outcomes 15 March 2013 Brussels, Belgium

Why Invest in Quality Early Childhood Education and Care? �Ending the intergenerational transmission of poverty �A return on investment/preventive action �Brain development/well-being of children �Preparation of school (preventing early school leaving) + enhances chances to succeed in life �Children’s rights and social responsibility With support from the European Union

Early education in TIMSS and PIRLS �children with experience in early numeracy (counting different things) have better results in math and science; �early literacy = much better reading; �more years of preprimary education = greater benefits for educational achievements. With support from the European Union

A Good Start (AGS) Facts § Budget: aprox. 2. 5 million EUR by EU, REF and other donors § Target: 4000 beneficiaries (recurring beneficiaries: nearly § § 1800) 4 countries, 16 locations Timeframe: 24 months Partners: 12 implementing local partners, 3 international partners - ISSA, FSG and SGI Evaluation and capacity building by the WB and UNDP Roma involvement at all levels With support from the European Union

With support from the European Union

Partner organizations q International Step By Step Association q Slovak Governance Institute q Fundacion Secretariado Gitano q q Cultural association of Roma in Slovakia Civic Association EQUAL CHANCES County Association of Roma Initiatives Methodological and Pedagogical Centre Bratislava q Ruhama Foundation q Romani CRISS q National Roma Centrum q Roma Education Center “Ambrela” q Humanitarian and Charitable Association of the Roma KHAM q Romano Trajo Association q Unity in Diversity Foundation q College of Nyíregyháza Evaluation and capacity building by the World Bank and UNDP With support from the European Union

AGS activities addressing key areas q services provided for children aged 0 -6 q teachers and parents trained and empowered with regards to child development q outreach activities q need-based support – enrolment fee, nutrition, health service q country-specific possible policy implications analysed With support from the European Union

Challenges in four countries § § § § § lack of proper legislative framework capacity problem, lack of kindergarten facilities scarcity of ECEC services for age group 0 -3 quality of ECEC services is often under the required standards Roma families might have negative attitudes toward school segregation in kindergartens and school education system channelling Roma children to special education, or to “zero” classes insufficient preparation with the language of instruction poverty and material deprivation, poor housing, stressed parents who can not afford toys or books, etc. health status of children With support from the European Union

Components of the ECD model Quality ECD programs for Romani children Access to ECD programs of Romani children Parenting practices Early childhood investment with the highest returns

Results From AGS’s draft Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluation: There was a considerable impact on the project beneficiaries Access and attendance: § Non-enrollment statistics decreased from 89% to 83% in the 0 -3 age group and from 33% to 25% in 3 -6. § The average kindergarten attendance improved between the two surveys from 4 to 4. 2 days, or in terms of non-attendance rate from 19. 6 to 15. 8 percent of absent days (as reported by parents for the whole AGS project) Quality: § Trainings combined with continuous mentoring, monitoring and follow-up were sufficient for improving quality of institutions (Bv. LF sub-program). Parenting practices: § Share of parents seeing preschool education as very important rising to above than 85% from 60% in general. § Your Story results reached beyond a simple provision of skills and information. Mothers were satisfied with Your Story sessions, their parental skills, reading literacy improved, ECD professionals, teachers comfirmed that children gained as well With support from the European Union

Lessons learned § Two years of subsidized or free kindergartens for all § Inclusive and integrated approach to ECEC § Variety of basic quality services (home-based and community-based services for children 0 -3/ kindergarten for children 3 -6) § Quality human resources (teachers, health workers) § Community empowerment with focus on mothers § Greater focus is needed in urban settings With support from the European Union

EU Regulation for 2014 -2020 funding period § Integrated use of funds § Thematic ex-ante conditionality (Annex IV(9) and IV(10)) a) b) Education (early school leaving) Social-inclusion (poverty elevation and Roma inclusion) § General ex-ante conditionality (Article 5. 1. c and 87. 3 and Annex IV(1)) a) Anti-discrimination § ESF – equal access to quality early childhood education (Article 3. 1. b. 1, 3. 1. c. ii) § Identification + targeting of the most disadvantaged micro- regions (Article 14. c and Annex IV) § Promoting equal opportunity + capacity building of partners With support from the European Union

Recommendations § § To strengthen ex-ante conditionality, emphasize ECEC as a horizontal priority! Why? Enforce the realization that ECEC is one of the most crucial factors for breaking the intergenerational transmission of poverty Enforce the realization that ECEC has high return on investment Prevent cuts in ECEC budget due to economic crisis Enhance potential synergies between EU funding and other tools (e. g. legislation, state budget) With support from the European Union

Recommendations Explicit reference should be made on early childhood development also in key actions for ERDF § support for investment in early childhood development, education and training infrastructure § fostering non-segregated pre-school education With support from the European Union

Rough estimate of the costs of kindergarten capacity development Population Roma population Pre-school attendance rate of children Pre-school attendance rate of Roma children Proportioning, based on population and pre-school attendance of children Proportioning, based on Roma population and pre-school attendance of Roma children Slovakia 5. 4 million Hungary Romania FYROM 10. 0 million 19. 0 million 2. 1 million 0. 5 million 71. 7% 0. 7 million 88. 5% 1. 9 million 77. 1% 0. 2 million 25. 2% 23. 3% 69. 0% 36. 8% 11. 7% 1. 33 1 3. 78 1, 37 1. 77 1 5. 53 0, 81 74 -108 MEUR 16 -27 MEUR Investment costs 26 -34 MEUR 19. 5 MEUR Operational costs, per year 23 -30 MEUR 17. 2 MEUR 65 -95 MEUR 14 -23 MEUR

Example – Quality AGS in Zborov, Abranovce (SVK) - language issue, intercultural relations, capacity problems § employed teacher, Romani teacher assistant and kitchen assist § community mediators empowered parents to enrol children § material support § tutoring for children attending zero classes § provided financial support to establish preschool services, capacity development § informal preschool class for Roma children run by the church With support from the European Union

Example – Access AGS Skopje, Shuto Orizari, AGS Eastern-Macedonian localities – issues with official documentation, capacity problems, extreme poverty, transportation Ø joint investment in infrastructure Ø transportation provided, Ø staff employed partly by AGS, partly by the municipalities Ø assisted registration of children to obtain birth certificates, and vaccinations Ø financing tuition fee Ø material support for families Ø parenting activities with mothers Ø facilitate access to social services With support from the European Union

Example – Parenting Supporting literacy for empowerment (HU) § (Your Story) – developing parenting skills and knowledge to improve ECED outcomes for young children § Home visits by the community mediators § Home Pre-School Community Liasion program § training and engagement of local Roma as mentors and facilitators With support from the European Union

AGS’s experiences in its target countries § Sustainability § Comprehensive ECEC services (community-based § § services/health services/curriculum/equality standards) Infrastructure/elimination of capacity issues Desegregation (strategic-preventive action) Development of teaching materials (ex. national language as second language) Technical assistance to project implementers With support from the European Union

Sustainability of A Good Start REF is committed to scale-up the good practices identified and developed § AGS phase II started: 4 countries; 17 locations; € 467, 465; timeframe: 10 months; 728 targeted children § working in synergy with the OSF Early Childhood Program, UNICEF, Bv. L, ISSA § strategical partnership with governments § larger-scale ECD project with impact evaluation in Slovakia and planned in other countries as well With support from the European Union

Contact: Szilvia Pallaghy, REF Email: szpallaghy@romaeducationfund. org With support from the European Union