2012年-世界发展银行全球_Armenia_Early_Childhood_Development___SABER_Country_Report_2012_29页_1mb

Summary of the SABER Country Report on Early Childhood Development in Armenia (2012)

Core Content

The SABER-ECD report on Armenia provides an analysis of the country's early childhood development (ECD) policies and programs, focusing on three key policy goals: Establishing an Enabling Environment, Implementing Widely, and Monitoring and Assuring Quality. The report highlights the progress made and identifies areas needing improvement to ensure optimal ECD outcomes.

Main Policy Goals and Recommendations

1. Establishing an Enabling Environment

• Legal Framework: Armenia has a national program (2004-2015) that covers education, health, and social protection, promoting ECD through legislation.
• Intersectoral Coordination: A cross-sectoral national committee coordinates ECD policies, involving key ministries and international organizations.
• Finance: The government has allocated resources for ECD, but there is a need for more transparent and efficient financial mechanisms.

2. Implementing Widely

• Access to ECD Services: While there are programs in place, access to preprimary education remains low, with only 33.9% of children aged 3-6 enrolled.
• Health and Nutrition: Prenatal care and infant immunization programs are in place, but nutrition remains a challenge, especially in reducing stunting (19% among children under five).
• Equity: There is significant inequity in access to ECD services, particularly in rural areas and among vulnerable populations.

3. Monitoring and Assuring Quality

• Data Collection: Child outcome indicators are collected in the health sector but not in other relevant sectors.
• Quality Standards: Standards for ECD services exist in health and education sectors but need better enforcement.
• Tracking System: A comprehensive child development tracking system across all sectors is recommended to ensure quality and effectiveness of interventions.

Key Issues and Recommendations

Multi-sectoral Issues – Monitoring and Evaluation

• Develop a comprehensive ECD database managed by relevant ministries or the National Statistical Service.
• Establish an improved Monitoring and Evaluation system to ensure eligible beneficiaries receive appropriate services.
• Conduct impact evaluations on interventions to measure their effectiveness on cognitive, linguistic, physical, and socio-emotional development.

Health and Nutrition

• Improve Prenatal Care: Increase the percentage of pregnant women receiving antenatal care and reduce anemia from 39% to 20% by 2018.
• Promote Breastfeeding: Increase exclusive breastfeeding rates for children under six months from 35% to 60% by 2018.
• Reduce Stunting: Develop a strategy to reduce stunting from 19% to below 10% by 2018.
• Ensure Access to Healthcare: Increase the percentage of children under five with suspected pneumonia taken to a healthcare provider from 57% to above 80% by 2018.
• Address Informal Payments: Improve access to ECD services by addressing high out-of-pocket health expenditures, particularly for drugs and informal payments.

Education

• Expand Preprimary Enrollment: Continue the expansion of the one-year National School Readiness Program to achieve a 90% enrollment rate by 2017.
• Support Disadvantaged Communities: Develop a subsidy mechanism for communities without preschools to ensure equitable access to education.

Child Protection

• Strengthen Interventions: Enhance support for children with special needs and those in vulnerable situations.
• Collaborate with Partners: Work with development partners who have expertise in this area.
• Improve Child Protection System: Establish a monitoring mechanism for the three-layer child protection system and create an annual action plan for the National Committee.

Key Considerations for Armenia

• Multisectoral Approach: A highly synergetic and integrated approach is essential to address the multidimensional needs of children.
• Targeted Support: Ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable children and families receive adequate support and access to ECD services.

Status of ECD in Armenia

Policy Goal Status

ECD Indicators in Armenia with Regional Comparison

Regional Context

Armenia is a lower middle-income country in the South Caucasus region, with a population of 2.9 million. Despite a severe economic recession in 2009, the economy has been recovering. However, poverty remains high, with about one-third of the population living below the poverty line, and rural poverty being even higher.

Key Laws and Regulations

• The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Protocol on the Sale of Children.
• The ILO 182nd Convention on Child Labor.
• The Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoption.
• National Laws: Law on Child's Rights, Law on Preschool Education, Law on Medical Services for the Population, Law on Social Protection of Children Deprived of Parental Care, Family Code, Labor Code, and Criminal Code.

Box 3: Chilean Experience – Multisectoral Policy Design

• Chile Crece Contigo (CCC) is a successful example of a multisectoral ECD policy that provides differentiated support to the poorest 40% of households.
• The CCC includes free preprimary education, healthcare services for orphans and vulnerable children, and a comprehensive implementation plan across all levels of government.
• The policy emphasizes intersectoral collaboration, accountability, and synergy among stakeholders.

Conclusion

Armenia has made progress in establishing a legal and institutional framework for ECD, but there are significant gaps in implementation and monitoring. The report recommends a comprehensive, multisectoral, and integrated approach to improve ECD outcomes, focusing on equity, quality assurance, and system-wide coordination. The introduction of a centralized ECD database, improved monitoring systems, and targeted support mechanisms are critical for future improvements.