2014年-世界发展银行全球_Republic_of_Guinea___Early_Childhood_Development_2013_25页_1mb

Summary of the SABER Country Report on Early Childhood Development in Guinea

Core Content

The SABER Country Report on Early Childhood Development (ECD) in the Republic of Guinea provides an analysis of the current policy landscape and highlights the challenges and opportunities for improving ECD in the country. Guinea is a low-income nation in West Africa with significant developmental challenges, including high infant and under-5 mortality rates, malnutrition, and limited access to ECD services. The report outlines three core policy goals that should be addressed to enhance ECD outcomes: Establishing an Enabling Environment, Implementing Widely, and Monitoring and Assuring Quality.

Main Policy Goals and Key Findings

1. Establishing an Enabling Environment

• Legal Framework:

  • Laws and regulations exist to support ECD in health, education, and child protection sectors.
  • The Child Code (2009) and National Policy on Preprimary Education and Child Protection (2007) are key legal instruments.
  • Despite these, there is a lack of comprehensive legal frameworks to ensure access to ECD services for all, and policies do not mandate compulsory preprimary education.
  • The Government has made progress in promoting breastfeeding and birth registration, but these are not fully enforced.

• Intersectoral Coordination:

  • A multisectoral strategy and an institutional anchor (MASFE) have been established, but coordination between ministries is limited.
  • There is a lack of synergy in the implementation of ECD interventions across sectors.
  • A National Directorate for Preprimary Education and Child Protection (DNPEPE) oversees ECD activities, but collaboration is hindered by budget constraints and limited information sharing.

• Finance:

  • Budget allocations for ECD are insufficient, and there is no dedicated ECD budget line in most relevant ministries.
  • Public funding for ECD is inadequate, and high private costs limit access, especially for low-income families.
  • Out-of-pocket health expenditures account for 88% of total health spending, one of the highest in the region.
  • There is no clear mechanism for determining ECD financial allocations, and the government has not fully implemented the recommendations from a 2010 study on ECD financing.

2. Implementing Widely

• ECD programs target all beneficiaries, but coverage is uneven across regions and socioeconomic groups.
• Marginalized communities, especially in rural areas and among refugees from neighboring countries, have limited access to ECD services.
• Only 9% of children aged 3-6 attend preprimary school, far below regional averages.
• There is a need for specialized interventions to ensure equal access to ECD services for all children.

3. Monitoring and Assuring Quality

• Administrative data on ECD indicators are collected, but there is no comprehensive system to monitor children's development across sectors.
• Standards for ECD service delivery exist but are not always mandatory or enforced.
• A more robust system for monitoring compliance and ensuring quality is required to improve outcomes for young children.

Key Laws, Regulations, and Plans

• Public Health Code (1997): Mandates exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and child monitoring for malnourished children and those with certain diseases.
• UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Ratified, 1999): Provides a legal basis for child protection.
• National Health Policy (2001) and National Health Development Plan (2003): Focus on maternal and child health.
• National Food and Nutrition Policy (2005): Promotes iodized salt and iron/folic acid supplementation.
• National Policy on Preprimary Education and Child Protection (2007): Aims to expand preprimary education and support child protection.
• Child Code (2009): Includes enhanced protections for children, especially those affected by domestic violence, trafficking, and child labor.
• Integrated Early Childhood Program Standard (2009): Sets standards for ECD services.
• Policy Statement on the Preprimary Education Sub-Sector (2012): Seeks to increase preprimary enrollment to 30% by 2020.

Regional Comparison

Policy Options for Improvement

Legal Framework

• Expand policies to address the marketing of breast milk substitutes.
• Mandate salt iodization and ensure compliance.
• Strengthen laws related to child protection and birth registration.

Intersectoral Coordination

• Improve coordination mechanisms between relevant government entities.
• Enhance information sharing on ECD-related budget allocations and spending.
• Leverage ongoing projects in one sector to support initiatives in others.

Finance

• Increase public funding for ECD, especially in health and nutrition sectors.
• Develop ECD-specific budget lines in key ministries.
• Consider cash transfers or vouchers to support enrollment in preprimary education.
• Establish public-private partnerships to expand ECCE services.
• Create a start-up credit loan system to support underserved communities.

Conclusion

Guinea has made progress in developing ECD policies, but implementation remains limited due to insufficient funding, weak intersectoral coordination, and lack of comprehensive monitoring systems. The country is at an emerging stage in ECD policy development, with potential for improvement through better legal frameworks, increased financial investment, and enhanced coordination. The report emphasizes the need for a more integrated and sustainable approach to ECD to ensure that all children, especially the most vulnerable, have access to quality services.