2013年-世界发展银行全球_Sierra_Leone_Early_Childhood_Development___SABER_Country_Report_2013_27页_1mb

Summary of the SABER Country Report on Early Childhood Development in Sierra Leone

Core Content

This SABER-ECD Country Report for Sierra Leone provides an in-depth analysis of the country's Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs and policies. It outlines the current status of ECD in Sierra Leone, highlights key policy goals, and presents regional comparisons to identify areas of improvement.

Main Policy Goals

The report identifies three core policy goals for ECD in Sierra Leone:

1. Establishing an Enabling Environment
2. Implementing Widely
3. Monitoring and Assuring Quality

These goals are essential to ensuring optimal ECD outcomes for young children and their families.

Key Information and Findings

1. Establishing an Enabling Environment

• Legal Framework:

  • The Child Rights Act 2007 aligns with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
  • There are ongoing efforts to develop national policies for salt iodization, food fortification, and breastfeeding.
  • No laws guarantee free preprimary education for young children.
  • Parental leave policies exist but are not universally accessible due to high informal employment levels.

• Intersectoral Coordination:

  • A draft National Policy for Intersectoral ECD (NPIECD) was developed in 2010 but not yet implemented.
  • The policy aims to create a national coordinating committee and three subnational committees to implement the ECD mandate.
  • Coordination between sectors and between state and non-state actors is currently limited.

• Finance:

  • There is no defined process for allocating financial resources to ECD.
  • Spending on ECD is not disaggregated by age or type of service.
  • Public expenditures for ECD are insufficient, and private costs are a barrier to access.
  • The government has not yet committed to a costed implementation plan for the NPIECD.

2. Implementing Widely

• ECD programs cover all beneficiaries but lack sufficient coverage and quality.
• High inequity in access exists between socioeconomic groups and urban/rural areas.
• Targeted interventions are needed to reach the most underserved children.
• The proposed three years of compulsory preprimary education is costly and may not be feasible without adequate funding.

3. Monitoring and Assuring Quality

• Household survey data (e.g., MICS and DHS) are available nationally but limited in scope.
• Administrative data are sparse, making it difficult to monitor service delivery and quality.
• There are no established standards or enforcement mechanisms for ECD service provision.

Regional Comparisons

Parental Leave Policies

Health Expenditure Indicators

Preprimary Teacher Salaries Compared with GNI per Capita

Policy Options to Strengthen ECD

• Legal Framework:

  • The GoSL should approve, implement, and enforce policies on salt iodization, food fortification, and the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes.
  • A phased approach to preprimary education may be necessary to ensure universal coverage for 5-year-olds.

• Intersectoral Coordination:

  • Revive efforts to implement the NPIECD.
  • Clearly define the responsibilities of each ministry and non-state actors.
  • Develop a costed implementation plan and identify an institutional anchor for ECD.

• Finance:

  • Establish a framework to capture spending by age and type of investment.
  • Ensure substantial and consistent financing across all sectors.
  • Support the development of a costed model for ECD by UNICEF.

Conclusion

Sierra Leone has made progress in developing ECD policies but faces significant challenges in implementation, coordination, and financial investment. The country is at a "latent" stage in all three policy goals, indicating that there is substantial room for improvement. A comprehensive, integrated, and well-funded approach is necessary to ensure that all children have access to quality ECD services.