Abstract
This chapter reviews the development of early childhood care and education (ECCE) in Africa as a key sub-sector and foundation for an Ubuntu system of education. It contributes to Africa’s soul-searching in terms of the current malaise felt by Africans who feel that their education systems have failed in creating individuals who are in sync with their bi-culturalism as one culture, the African one, has been undervalued and neglected in the educational journey. Using both a historical and developmental perspective, it argues that Africa somehow missed the opportunity during the early post-independence era to design and implement an ECCE sub-sector rooted into its cultures and value systems. In so doing, it singles out elements of Africa’s colonial and neocolonial experience that explain the current situation.
This chapter relies heavily on a forthcoming publication by UNESCO and written by the author entitled, School Readiness for Children in the West and Central African Region: A review of the policy frameworks for its implementation and case studies of three West African countries (Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria ).
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Notes
- 1.
Encyclopedia of Children’s Health (http://www.healthofchildren.com/E-F/Early-Childhood-Education.html#ixzz3rh90zXA0)
- 2.
World Health Organization (WHO). 2007. ECD- A Powerful Equalizer. A final report for the WHO’s Commission on the Social Determinants of Health.
- 3.
Moumouni. A. (ed.1968). Education in Africa. Andre Deutsch, London. (p. 144).
- 4.
Abdou Moumouni articulated a whole vision of general education for Africa and proposed what he called a “unitary education system” of 11 years preceded by a pre-primary education consisting of nursery and kindergartens education.
- 5.
Ontogeny is defined as “the origination and development of an organism, usually from the time of fertilization of the egg to the organism’s mature form – although the term can be used to refer to the study of the entirety of an organism’s lifespan” (Wikipedia).
- 6.
Serpell, John & Nsamenang, A. Bame (2014). Locally relevant and quality ECCE programmes: Implications of research on indigenous African child development and socialization.
- 7.
- 8.
UNESCO & UNICEF. 2014. State of Early Childhood Development in West and Central Africa in 2010–11, Analysis based on MICS4 Surveys, UNESCO-IIEP Pole de Dakar.
- 9.
Wikipedia defines BFCI as “a worldwide program of the World Health Organization and UNICEF, launched in 1991 following the adoption of the Innocenti Declaration on breastfeeding promotion in 1990. The initiative is a global effort for improving the role of maternity services to enable mothers to breastfeed babies for the best start in life. It aims at improving the care of pregnant women, mothers and newborns at health facilities that provide maternity services for protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding, in accordance with the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes”.
- 10.
Examen national 2015 de l’Éducation pour tous: Côte d’Ivoire.
- 11.
“I am, because we are, and since we are, therefore I am ”. It is “a comprehensive ancient African worldview based on the values of intense humanness , caring , sharing, respect , compassion and associated values ”.
- 12.
Introduction: Generative pedagogy in the context of all cultures can contribute scientific knowledge of universal Value . In Handbook of African Educational Theories and Practices: A Generative Teacher Education Curriculum (Nsamenang & Tchombe; eds. (2011). Human Development Resource Centre (HDRC), Bamenda, Cameroon.
- 13.
The concept of African Renaissance was revisited by former President Mbeki of South Africa. Among other things, he proposed that one way of rekindling African intellectual and socioeconomic vibrancy is encouraging education and the reversal of the “brain drain” of African intellectuals. He also urges Africans (led by African intellectuals) to take pride in their heritage and to take charge of their lives.
- 14.
Agenda 2063 is a bold strategic trajectory spanning the next 50 years to transform the continent into a prosperous, integrated, secure and peaceful , democratic, and dynamic force in the world.
- 15.
A book Review of African Education and Globalization: Critical Perspectives (Ali A. Abdi, Korbla P. Puplampu, and George J. Sefa Dei. Lanham), MD: Lexington Books, 2006. 214 pp.
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Boukary, H. (2018). Putting the Cart Before the Horse? Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) the Quest for Ubuntu Educational Foundation in Africa. In: Takyi-Amoako, E., Assié-Lumumba, N. (eds) Re-Visioning Education in Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70043-4_8
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