EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE IN SPAIN

Transcription

1 COFACE EXPERTS MEETING: EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE IN SPAIN Brussels, 25th June 2012

2 WHO WE ARE UNAF is a NGO working on the promotion and defense of families rights and welfare since organisations with focus on various areas like health, childhood, elderly people, equality, intercultural development, etc. Declared of Public Utility in 1995 Especial Advisory Entity in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations since 2005 Experts in family mediation: psychologists, lawyers and social workers

3 OUR MISSION WE WORK FOR THE WELL-BEING OF ALL FAMILIES

4 OUR VISION We pretend a society where all families can make their rights effective and can have comprehensive development, well-being and quality of life guaranteed for all their members. Democratic, progressive and supportive vision

5 OUR VALUES Plurality Equality Democracy Progress Solidarity Associacionism

6 WHAT WE DO FAMILY MEDIATION SERVICES In case of separation or divorce Parents-teenagers Parents-children-school centre SEXUAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND PREVENTION AGAINST FEMENINE GENITAL MUTILATION FOR IMMIGRANTS Workshops and training for immigrants Workshops and training for professionals Seminars

7 DAPHNE PROJECT: STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST ELDERLY WOMEN ENVIRONMENT AWARENESS CAMPAIGN FOR SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY

8 SEMINARS AND CONFERENCES

9 PUBLICATIONS

10 EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE IN SPAIN

11 EUROPEAN COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS Assessment by the Commission concludes that Spain is affected by serious macroeconomic imbalances that need to be urgently addressed. The Council recommends to: Take specific measures to counter poverty, by MAKING CHILD SUPPORT EFFECTIVE and improving the employability of vulnerable groups. 1.1 million people was in risk of poverty in 2010 and childhood poverty is at an alarming 26,2%

12 Rationalization and modernization of essencial public services: educational system Increase 20% in the number of students per class in Primary and Secondary School Increase of the minimum number of hours of classes a week (25 in Early Childhood and Primary Schools 20 in others) Appointment of temporary teachers for substitutions only for absences over 10 days Approximation of public prices in University academic services to the effective cost Reduction of the number of modalities in high school degree (after Secondary School) NATIONAL REFORM PROGRAMME 2012 (EUROPE 2020) PROA Plan (Reinforcement, Guidance and Support): school support for needs related to sociocultural environment Plan against Early School Leaving (Secondary School): retain or return (New Opportunities Programme) to educational system

13 MINISTER OF EDUCATION You pose me the question of education from 0 to 3 years old. I'll tell you frankly: I think it s not education, I think it s basically reconciliation. I think that the process from 0 to 3 years is an important process but it s not essentially part of the educational process, and with this I am not underestimating it. The educational process itself begins at 3 years old and this wi ll have to be fit it into what is properly a support for reconciliation. Wert Ortega, Parlament Session, 31st January 2012

14 WHY IS EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IMPORTANT? Families offer the care and affection that children need but their education have some other needs Rich and estimulating environment Affection and learn how to control their emotions To observe, experience, discover and express what they observe Learn how to be autonomous Learn healthy habits Recreational activities Develop their skills and abilities Learn to communicate and share

15 Today we know: Children have unlimited skills The first years of life are crucial for the future of the person The structures of the brain are not predeterminated when we are born but can experience dinamic changes Interactions of the different environments (house, school, community, town, city) can favor or inhibit the development of children potentialities Main acquisitions are made in the first 6 years of life

16 This means: - A GREAT RESPONSABILITY FOR FAMILIES, SCHOOLS, GOVERNMENTS AND SOCIETY IN GENERAL - EARLY CHILDHOOD SCHOOLS CAN NO LONGER BE WELFARE CENTRES

17 SITUATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION Lack of political commitment and courage on behalf of early childhood education Fragmentation in different regional regulations Underestimate of professional work Break of this educational stage Low social consideration of early childhood False reconciliation Considered just as preparation to Primary School Underestimate of skills and abilities of children of these ages

18 1970 GENERAL LAW ON EDUCATION (2-5 years old Pre-school, leaving first 2 years Kindergarden) 1985 Failed LAW ON EARLY CHILDHOOD SCHOOLS 1990 LOGSE (Organic General Law for Education System): recognize education since birth and established Early Childhood Education within the General Educational System Universalizing 3-6 was already an important challenge leaving 0-3 at a secondary place Serious deficiencies: lack of political will for the first stage due to economical priorities: BREAK + IMBALANCE

19 2002 LOCE (Quality Education Organic Law) 2006 LOE (Education Organic Law) - Inequality: leaves regulation of first cycle in hands of regional governments, differenciating it from the rest of educational levels (Art. 14.7) - Not compulsory to offer first cycle in all early childhood centres (Art. 15.4) lucrative businesses with no requirements or educational inspection - Ambiguity in definition of staff: (indirect attention) staff with appropiate qualifications to attend this children (Art. 92.1) reduction of the cost: the lower the degree is, the lower the salary and worse the working conditions - No participation of educational community in first cycle (although early childhood education should have the same collegiate bodies than the rest of Education System. Art. 118) - In many regions the presence of children with special needs does not decrease ratios - Overcrowding

20 LAST SPECIFIC ACTIONS EDUCA 3 Comprehensive program initiated in 2008 by the previous Ministry of Education to promote Early Childhood Education 0-3. It considered early childhood education 0-6: - an educational stage with its own identity. - voluntary - intended to contribute to the physical, emotional, social and intellectual development of children.

21 Objectives: A place for every child under 3 years old. - Create and improve the network of centers to ensure a proper learning environment in the best interest of children. - Establish collaboration with the Autonomous Communities that contribute to the expansion of a quality education quality. - Enhance the participation of local councils in the creation and adaptation of centers serving the first cycle of child education. -Studies of valid formulas for providing education to children living in rural sparsely populated areas Total investment: 1,087 million euros between 2008 and Funding is 50% between the Ministry of Education and the Autonomous Communities Result: An increase of early childhood education places but insufficient because each region managed funds with different models so it didn t create a public network of early childhood schools

22 PLATFORM FOR THE DEFENSE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION LOE: - Problem: Regulation of Education 0-3 fully delegated to regional governments. No common minimum requirements at natinal level - Proposal to use LOGSE model with minimum requirements for the whole state EDUCA 3: Funds - Provided by national government to regional governments with no common requirements (space, professional qualifications, ratios, support staff, etc.) - Crisis: provided with no compromise of regional governments to finance 50% We re not objects to put away, we re people to educate

23 EDUCA 3: Different management models depending on the region, with more or less: - Direct management: government employees - Indirect management: open competition. Problem: Economic project priorized to the pedagogical project, so private entities with no experience in education have obtained the licences of schools 0-3 REGION OF MADRID. Only 55 early childhood schools are of direct management out of over 400. Important budget cuts in Education: children under 3 years old Increase of prices 0-3 (published BOCM 14th June): prices of places: % 0-1 Supplement 60 regardless income level prices of school dining services prices of extra time grants (26 million less)

24 SPANISH CONFEDERATION OF PARENTS ASOCIATIONS DEMANDS FOR NATIONAL GOVERNMENT 1. Regulation of minimum requirements that all early children education centres should meet in period 0-3: facilities, professionals, contents, number of students, flexible hours 2. Coordination between central government and regional policies (projects, organization, etc.) to guarantee quality level 3. Clarify a model of Early Childhood education of a socio-educational nature 4. Guarantee that all boys and girls in this educational period have the same opportunities of access to a quality early childhood education 5. Introduce changes in the labour regulations in order to make possible the attention and care of children by their families 6. Create opportunities and participation spaces for families

25 DEMANDS FOR REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS 1. School Map for Centres 0-3 in regional governments 2. Minimum requirements for all early childhood centres 3. Urgent coordination regional ministries 4. Transfer of competences to education regional ministries 5. Sufficient public investment 6. Sufficient ECEC public centres for 0-3 and places for 3-6 Same facilities to promote unity and specificity of the 0-6 education 7. Adapt the organizational structure of school centres (diversity of families) 8. Create opportunities and participation spaces for families 9. Minimum cost that should also be similar in all regions

26 DEMANDS FOR PARENTS ASSOCIATIONS 1. Increase information for parents so that they learn the real situation of early childhood education in their regions 2. Promote the schooling of the 0-6 year-olds to reduce educational disadvantages - Raising awareness on the importance of early childhood education - Parents involvement in the management bodies - Training for parents on the importance of early childhood education 3. Push and claim to the respective regions that early childhood centres are educational and not welfare centres 4. Promote a debate on education to create an educational model according to the current needs

27 Examples

28 DEMANDS FOR SOCIAL AGENTS 1. Promote raising awareness and support campaings 2. Coordination of professionals of the different education centres with social agents to mitigate inequalities between students

29 CONCLUSIONS - Education Stage 0-6 years old should continue to be recognized as educational and not welfare - Creation of a real public network of early childhood schools to cover all educational needs of all families, respecting the unity and specificity of this education stage - National regulation of minimum requirements to be met in all early education centres: facilities, professional qualifications, students ratio per teacher, contents and pedagogical objetives, flexible hours PUBLIC SCHOOL: OF ALL FOR ALL

30 THANK YOU! WEB AsociacionesFamiliares UNAFamilias