Early Childhood Development

LESSONS FROM RUSSIA2007-2014

Nico van Oudenhoven International Child Development Initiatives (ICDI), Netherlands

Childhood: policy, methodology and practiceEarly Childhood Care and Education ConferenceMinistry of Education of the Russian Federation

Sochi, 20-22 October, 2014

Early TeachersIvan PavlovLev Vigotsky Alexander Luria Alexander Zaporozhets

World Bank’s collaboration with

Governments of Khanty Mansiysk and Yakutia

New Teachers

Elena Yudina Alexandre Asmolov

Tigran Shmis Nikolay Veraksa

Other Teachers•The Children•The Parents•The Teachers•The Policy makers

Lesson One

Russian Kindergartens are among the very best in the world, for many reasons.

But…

Very good, but…

•Have been good for so many years without hardly having changed•Tendency to avoid hot topics such as:•Exclusion of special groups•Child abuse•Domestic violence

And the remedy…

•Experiment, reflect, investigate•Engage in local, national and international debates (but from a position of strength)•Validate knowledge of all stakeholders

Lesson Two

In Early Childhood education there is the potential of a ‘golden triangle’ betweenFormalNonformal andInformal approaches

Formal ECD: needed for all children

Informal ECD: extremely powerful

Informal ECD: So Rich, So Meaningful

Lesson Three: Culture versus Early Learning

•World-wide stress on turning children at ever younger ages into early learnings •Schoolification of education•Schoolification of young boys and girls•Creation of one-dimensional children: consumers

Scene on the West Bank, Palestine

Burmese refugees in Thailand

Preschool in Yakutia

Question 1: would you rather

(A) be rich, or (B) be a famous, dancer, musician, artist?

Question 8: Would you rather

• See pre-school or kindergarten children playing, enjoying nature, singing, painting, dancing, drawing pictures?

OR

• See pre-school or kindergarten children learning how to read, write and to work with numbers?

What does research and experience tell us?Culturised ECD,works:•soothing and healing •bridge building•strengthening cognitive functions•strengthening social skills• improving motivation•stronger coping mechanisms

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXynrsrTKbI

Lesson Four: How to see our children?(a work in progress)

•What do young boys and girls tell us?•What do we expect from them?•What do we wish them to become?•When do children become adults?•What rights do they have and why?

What we WISH our children to be

1. Enjoys good physical health2. Is curious and takes initiatives3. Is intelligent4. Is kind to other people5. Loves animals6. Plays a lot7. Is obedient8. Speaks more than one language9. ….

What we EXPECT our children to become1. Healthier Less healthy As healthy2. Wealthier Less wealthy As wealthy3. Taller Less tall As tall4. More friends Fewer friends As many

friends5. More educated Less educated As

educated6. More sexually active Less sexually active As sexually

active7. More children Fewer children As many

children8. ….

Russian ECD: the best of all!www.youtube.com/watch?v=99kjy2qXEUE