The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development covers 17 goals, the fourth of which is “quality education”, namely: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.  (Click here for details)

Under this major goal, there are 13 targets, the second of which is “By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and preprimary education so that they are ready for primary educations.”

● Current Situation

Many countries have taken various measures such as strengthening the responsibility of the government and giving priority to the training teachers to promote the development of preprimary education, with the purpose of effectively achieving the goal of universal, fair and quality preprimary education. In particular, these countries attach great importance to the preprimary education of disadvantaged children and provide them with better conditions and opportunities through direct intervention.

About the World

Preprimary Education Relying on Financial Situation

Photo source: tvoao.com

According to data from UNICEF, more than half of the world's children aged 3 to 6 do not have access to preprimary education. Children living in the poorest families are 10 times more than children from the richest families failed to have preprimary education. At the age of three to four, children from the richest families are about six times more likely to participate in early education than those from the poorest families. Many countries invested only 0.1% to 0.2% of GNP in preprimary education.

Text source: UNICEF

About China

China Set the Goal of Full Coverage of Preprimary Education by 2020

Photo source:chinanews.com

In 2010, China issued the Outline of Education Planning, which set the development goal of universal preprimary education by 2020. With the implementation of the "National Ten Articles" and the two phases of preprimary education plan, the kindergarten enrollment rate in 2016 has reached 77.4%. 

Text source: sohu.com

●  Cases

About the World

'Sure Start' in the United Kingdom  

Photo source:xici.com

'Sure start' is a comprehensive program initiated by the government for children under 4 years old. Relying on the community and mainly for low-income families, the program aimed to provide free preprimary education for children and their parents through medical care, baby sitting service and other family support.

'Head Start Program'in the United States

Photo source:sina.com

'Head Start' is the longest and most influential community program in the United States. It stipulates that community education services should be provided to at least 90% of families aged 3-5 years who are living below the poverty line. The program makes use of all kinds of education, culture, entertainment facilities, landscape and natural environment in the community, as well as human resources in the community, to implement free compensation education for the children of the vast majority of poor families.

Text source: people.cn

About China

Inclusive and Preferential Preprimary Education Promoted in Longhua Shenzhen 

Preprimary education is the base of and lifelong education. Under the leadership of the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government, Longhua Party Committee and Government as well as Longhua Education Bureau have attached great importance to the development of preprimary education. Longhua has invested about 1.4 billion RMB in buidling public kindergartens. In 2017, there were only 3 public kindergartens in Longhua, but now it has 126. There are over 41600 children receiving preprimary education in the public kindergartens, compared to 1200 in 2017. There are about 200 preferential kindergartens in Longhua.  

Children Grow Up in Harmony

The Kindergarten of Yantian Government insists on the concept of "Let Children grow up in harmony", and "attitude, temperature, speed and strength". The Kindergarten always focus on children's interests, close to their daily, and carry out long-term, extensive and in-depth exploration. In the 4th STEM Education and Program Academic Seminar and Evaluation Activities, the kindergarten’s project "Flowers" won the first prize of the best program in 2019.

Text and photo source: jb.sznews.com

●  Background

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Initiated by the United Nations

On January 1, 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including 169 targets, of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — officially came into force. Countries will mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind.